The "Official" Onkyo TX-SR705 Thread [Text View] - Page 8

scarecrow420

10-03-07, 06:58 PM

My finger grew weary and slipped on the trigger; this receiver is now on it's way. I guess I got too trigger happy when the Amazon-direct price slipped to six-oh-five.

I'm really worried about lip sync problems mentioned in this thread. To me that would be a deal-killer (we are gamers), but too late -- the receiver is already on it's way. :(

I spent the past few days re-reading this entire thread, and I don't recall anyone confirming they definitely DO NOT have a lipsync problem at all, and no one seems to have been able to resolve the problem 100%. Isn't this a big deal? :confused:

Does anyone have experience with the Extech 407730 SPL meter?
I am not in the position to confirm or deny lipsynch problems, as i have an older TV and no hidef sources or games consoles, however from my readings in these threads I saw that you can generally reduce and almost eliminate lip synch issues (if you do have them) by setting the audio delay in the source input menu to the smallest amount of delay (there was some confusion IIRC where originally people were specifying a value thinking that meant the least delay but it was actually giving them the most delay... i now cant recall whether 0ms gives you the most or least delay). Then, recently some information came to light regarding speaker distances... as long as you keep the relative distance between the speakers the same, you can increase them all to maximum, to reduce the delay (speakers further away need less delay for the signal to reach you). So for example if your furthest speaker is 5meters, you can increase it up to the maximum distance selectable, and then add the same amount onto each of the other speakers. People like woots who originally were complaining of lip synch/delay issues then seemed much happier that their problems were resolved. Infact i think woots said that it seems the speaker distances actually provide a greater amount of delay then what you would expect given scientific calculations using the speed of sound etc. There was also an issue with a particular cable channel (TNT?) over there in the states, which seems to be a problem with the provider and not so much anyone's equipment or setup.

I suppose you just have to wait until you get the onkyo hooked up, utilise the couple of methods (source audio synch setting, speaker ddistances) at your disposal and assess whether you have issues with lipsynch or not

scarecrow420

10-03-07, 07:05 PM

check out the 605 vs 705 thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11708200#post11708200

..in a nutshell
605:
fanless
1 Digital Signal Processor = less potential for lip-synch problems
less DSP's so most likely less heat problems

705:
Phono In
3 DSP's, more sound modes
10 more watts
TXH logo (means you get more preset eq modes)
Pre-outs for all 7 channels in case 100 watts doesn't do it for you
1+ optical, coaxial, and hdmi input
Better HDMI upscaling

...did I miss anything?well i dont know that the 605 has less potential for heat issues due to less DSPs. I suppose we would have to look at reported temps from 605 and 705 threads, but given the 705 has fans etc, i dont feel heat is a particularly concerning issue with this receiver. yes it runs hotter than previous generation AVRs but i dont think it's a problem.

it also has an SPDIF optical output if that matters to anyone. Better fully baklit and programmable/learning remote. The THX certification is more than just additional listening modes, it has to pass various testing/design etc requirements, and does mean something to some people. The 3 DSPs mean it can matrix 6.1 and 7.1 ointop of PCM whereas the 605 cant do this.

ANd it doesnt actually have better HDMI upscaling... im pretty sure the upscaling in 605/705/805 is all the same eg 480P with a secret menu option to use 720P but since its undocumented/unadvertised it can cause issues with widescreen sources etc. It also has the better audyssey multiEQ implementation supporting more listening modes and better equaliser etc. Also there are more selectable crossover frequencies for sppeaker setup

Dgephri

10-03-07, 07:17 PM

on Saturday I plan to finalize the installation of my rear channel to complete my 7.1 upgrade (going from 5.1 w/dual subs to 7.1 w/dual subs).

What BluRay is best suited to impress me with Lossless and/or 7.1 coming from my new 705?

jazzyfromco

10-03-07, 07:22 PM

thanks for clarifying HDMI, scarecrow420,

from liquid theater.com "THX"

* Speaker to subwoofer crossover frequency set to 80hz
* Reequalization of higher frequencies to lower their output for a smoother sound
* Equal high power for all five main amplified channels
* Subwoofers able to properly handle low frequency effects
* Diffused dipolar surround channels
* Low equipment noise

With so many similar internal components between the 605/705/805 my present understanding is that THX is 'more' a marketing tool than a standard which can clearly set one component apart from another. It seems to me that many systems that don't carry the thx logo would qualify for the majority of these descriptions.

Here's another description, http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Real_Sound/Receivers/E7H8J4L7

mm60

10-03-07, 07:25 PM

nope, 575 with some change out the door

Am guessing they will charge tax if you are in the states they have a physical presence in i.e. NY and NJ.

Brajesh

10-03-07, 08:55 PM

The 3 DSPs mean it can matrix 6.1 and 7.1 ointop of PCM whereas the 605 cant do this.
Important? From what I understand, the 605 will pass lossless 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 if available on disc; it just can't matrix 5.1 into 6.1 or 7.1 right?

Also, does the 605 actually decode and display Dolby TrueHD & DTS Master? Or, will it convert to PCM and show as multichannel?

Basically wondering if 705 is really worth it over the 605.

warlord260

10-03-07, 09:01 PM

In continuation of my planned audio set-up, I'm planning on purchasing the KEF 3005 (5.1) set. However our listening point (our bed) is flush with a wall; would I benefit at all from buying the 2 add'l sats to achieve 7.1 with this receiver? I read the rear speakers should be a few feet behind the listener. :confused:

you pretty much need a few feet in rear for sound to expand. if not it would sound too localized. if i were you i would stick to 5.1.

warlord260

10-03-07, 09:07 PM

djap2

10-03-07, 09:26 PM

In addition to my prior questions...

1) Lipsync issue - no big deal? :confused:
2) rear speakers to complete 7.1 - does having listening point flush to wall directly beneath these sats nullify their benefit?
3) Anyone have experience with the Extech 407730 spl meter? (RadioShack brand is out of stock).

...I have another question.

The 705 manual states:

This seems really vague. Why shouldn't it work after a period of non-use? What about those sitting in warehouses now that won't be purchased until Christmas? :confused:

I just setup my TX-SR705 from CC (hooked up a Comcast Moto HD DVR and an Oppo DV-981HD DVD Player via HDMI to the receiver, Replay TV Component with Optical Audio to the Receiver) and I have experienced the lyp-sync issue from the start. TV is a TH-50PX60U Panny 50" Plasma via HDMI to the receiver).

Lyp-Sync is not watchable on most, noticable on all else. I am bummed I spent so much time rewiring my entire HT system (from Yamaha 992 and Luxman MX-113 Amp) to something that we can't watch (really listen to but it is the visual that gets distracting)!

Also, there is up to a two second delay in audio starting when switching channels or inputs or quick skip, etc... We miss 2 seconds of audio almost everytime.

I guess I'll try calling tech support but honestly think this should go back. Why would anyone put up with any lyp-sync issues on a new receiver...

OK, now that I've got that off my chest, maybe there is something that can be done about, I'm just not crazy about risking hard earned dollars in hoping it gets fixed.

That said, picture looks great.
Sound quality is much sharper than my Yamaha, but I'm sure I can EQ that out (nice feature of the SR705) if I keep it.

I haven't Bi-Amped fronts yet, but might try it (don't need 7.1, I am happy with 5.1)...

dx31698

10-03-07, 09:54 PM

I remember reading that this reciever went on sale at CC for 550. Did this just happen once or more then once. When was the last time it was this low? Anybody know??

RCKYMTN

10-03-07, 09:59 PM

Enigma

10-03-07, 10:04 PM

I remember reading that this reciever went on sale at CC for 550. Did this just happen once or more then once. When was the last time it was this low? Anybody know??From what I remember it happened twice, for 4 hours or so each time (I know the second time was like 4 or 5 hours; on a Sunday morning). I always assumed it was an error on someone's part; either that or some kind of test marketing (it wasn't advertised anywhere AFAIK).

I think the last time was over a month ago.

dx31698

10-03-07, 10:06 PM

OhioLefty

10-03-07, 10:20 PM

Does anyone have a workaround for the problem of the 705 causing the 3416 to reset to 720p output instead of 1080i? The only thing I've be able to figure out is to turn the set top box off first, then the 705, then the flat panel, and to turn them on in the opposite order. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. There is no way I can train the wife to do that. :D

There is clearly a signal being sent to the Motorola from the 705 that is causing this, no matter what Onkyo says. I'd rather not use the HDMI out directly to the flat panel and audio some other way as I'd lose the Pure Audio feature. (I think.)

watercao,

I know this isn't going to solve your problem but just fyi. I've been using an Onkyo TX-SR705 with a Motorola DCH-3416 (Comcast) via HDMI ($5 Monoprice cable) for about a month without a single issue, box never resets and always outputs HD @ 1080i and I have SD set to output 480i. The box has never reset or changed resolutions.

Maybe you got a bad box? Just throwing something out there to try and help.

Good luck...

scarecrow420

10-03-07, 10:50 PM

I just setup my TX-SR705 from CC (hooked up a Comcast Moto HD DVR and an Oppo DV-981HD DVD Player via HDMI to the receiver, Replay TV Component with Optical Audio to the Receiver) and I have experienced the lyp-sync issue from the start. TV is a TH-50PX60U Panny 50" Plasma via HDMI to the receiver).

Lyp-Sync is not watchable on most, noticable on all else. I am bummed I spent so much time rewiring my entire HT system (from Yamaha 992 and Luxman MX-113 Amp) to something that we can't watch (really listen to but it is the visual that gets distracting)!

Also, there is up to a two second delay in audio starting when switching channels or inputs or quick skip, etc... We miss 2 seconds of audio almost everytime.

I guess I'll try calling tech support but honestly think this should go back. Why would anyone put up with any lyp-sync issues on a new receiver...

OK, now that I've got that off my chest, maybe there is something that can be done about, I'm just not crazy about risking hard earned dollars in hoping it gets fixed.

That said, picture looks great.
Sound quality is much sharper than my Yamaha, but I'm sure I can EQ that out (nice feature of the SR705) if I keep it.

I haven't Bi-Amped fronts yet, but might try it (don't need 7.1, I am happy with 5.1)...

The lyp sync bothers me too. I have the lyp sync setting to zero. Can't tell if the lyp sync issue is from the 705, my D* HR20 receiver or both, or how to resolve, or if just stuck with the problem?
Guys, I remembered some posts on lip synch and delay stuff from a while back and ive gone back and tracked them down for you. I found them by using the "Search This Thread" drop down at the top right of the screen, and searching for the word "delay". I knew that woots and mrgribbles had both made good posts on the subject

Basically at one point woots made a post saying that 0ms in the delay settings, actually gives the WORST delay. On a hunch he set the delay to the maximum value, and all but resolved his issues.

Then later on there is some discussion about speaker distance settings, where it was shown that setting them to be further away than they relaly are will reduce the delay as well.

It seemed that after following these 2 pieces of advice, some other people who had previously been complaining of lip synch issues confirmed that they were now pretty much rectified, and almost un-noticable.

Here are some links to those earlier posts hopefully you can read there, and the following discussions. Good luck!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11626312#post11626312
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11730829#post11730829
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11745744#post11745744

arbitrage000

10-03-07, 10:57 PM

Important? From what I understand, the 605 will pass lossless 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 if available on disc; it just can't matrix 5.1 into 6.1 or 7.1 right?

Also, does the 605 actually decode and display Dolby TrueHD & DTS Master? Or, will it convert to PCM and show as multichannel?

Basically wondering if 705 is really worth it over the 605.

It is so worth it unless you don't want 7.1 surround and only have 2 HDMI players to send it. The 605 does fully decode and display TrueHD and DTS MA just like the whole new Onkyo lineup. It just can't take PCM from an HDDVD player (other than A35) or a BD player (other than Sammy1400) and make 7 channels. If you have A35 and 1400 then it is fine because it should be able to matrix those bitstreams to 7.1. But any other players as of now are screwed to go 7.1.

edit I just quickly downloaded the 605 and 705 manuals and actually the 605 can't even apply DPLIIx to TrueHD or DTS HD-MA bitstreams either. The 705 can. Here are the links to the manuals chk around pages 60-70 and there are charts to show the proccessing modes. http://63.148.251.135/redirect_service.cfm?type=own_manuals&file=SN_29344476_TX-SR705_En_0604.pdf http://63.148.251.135/redirect_service.cfm?type=own_manuals&file=TXSR605_En_web_.pdf

aafflyer

10-03-07, 11:50 PM

has anybody ever ordered from accessories 4 less. they have the 705 for 550. It says onkyo factory recondtioned. Not really sure what that means. They are located in orlando and so am i, so I wouldnt have to pay shipping. You think this is a good deal

If you are in FL, then you likely have sales tax, so $550 is $550 + tax.

Order from 6th Ave for $575, no tax, shipping included (go back in thread and get 6% off promo code). Then you have new unit, authorized dealer, and a warranty.

aafflyer

10-04-07, 12:00 AM

I remember reading that this reciever went on sale at CC for 550. Did this just happen once or more then once. When was the last time it was this low? Anybody know??

Given that a CC purchase will have sales tax, CC $550 + tax in most states will be more than the current 6ave sale price.

Transcend

10-04-07, 12:32 AM

Guys, I remembered some posts on lip synch and delay stuff from a while back
Thanks scarecrow420, I really appreciate your help but I had just finished reading the entire thread (about 60 pages) before submitting that post, and the reason I posted about that issue is due to the words you yourself included in your recap -- "pretty much", "almost", etc.

I am aware of the improved-but-not-quite-right fixes...but that's why I asked the question. Is "almost" good enough for a mid-range receiver?

Falsifying the speaker distances helps lipsync, but I'm then concerned how that impacts the surround.

P.S. Issues like this one is why the only online dealer I use for major purchases is Amazon.

Transcend

10-04-07, 12:38 AM

all spl meters pretty much same, either analog or didgital. set slow, c weight, and use receivers test tones and dial it in to 75db.
you pretty much need a few feet in rear for sound to expand. if not it would sound too localized. if i were you i would stick to 5.1.

Thanks a million, warlord260.

scarecrow420

10-04-07, 12:49 AM

Thanks scarecrow420, I really appreciate your help but I had just finished reading the entire thread (about 60 pages) before submitting that post, and the reason I posted about that issue is due to the words you yourself included in your recap -- "pretty much", "almost", etc.

I am aware of the improved-but-not-quite-right fixes...but that's why I asked the question. Is "almost" good enough for a mid-range receiver?

Falsifying the speaker distances helps lipsync, but I'm then concerned how that impacts the surround.

P.S. Issues like this one is why the only online dealer I use for major purchases is Amazon.I have not yet suffered any lip synch issues so cant comment from first hand experience. I still think if i was in your shoes i would try all of the methods at your disposal first, and only then if i was still unhappy would i return it.

It was certainly worth pointing out those posts to others, because i had seem some people say they were setting delay to 0ms, when woots has infact said that this is actually the WORST setting... it seems somewhat counter intuitive that a higher value gives less delay, but i would certainly hate to think that the people complaining of this issue are actually exascerbating it with the way they have the settings.

Also you shouldnt be worried about what false distances do to your surround - someone from audyssey confirmed that as long as the relative distances between each sepaker were kept the same, it wouldnt have any affect other than changing the audio delay.

It may bug some people that there is still a slight issue, but for the originally most vocal people about this issue (like woots) to now be happy with the lip synch situation, one would assume that alot of other users are probably going to fall into the same category and wont notice it, once they have utilised the methods at their disposal to mitigate it

Transcend

10-04-07, 02:11 AM

Also you shouldnt be worried about what false distances do to your surround - someone from audyssey confirmed that as long as the relative distances between each sepaker were kept the same, it wouldnt have any affect other than changing the audio delay.

I agree - I also noticed people were still turning down the delay to 0 in spite of the findings by woots.

Thanks for the add'l info from audyssey on relative distances -- I missed that. Your information and advice has been very helpful :).

Boogie7910

10-04-07, 06:24 AM

I've had the 705 for about a day and haven't had any lip-sync issues

rveras

10-04-07, 08:07 AM

No lip-sync issues for me either.

woots

10-04-07, 09:11 AM

FOR EVERYONE WITH LIP SYNC ISSUES, HERE ARE SOME SOLUTIONS:

Guide on Correcting Onkyo Audio Sync Delay

(First I want to say that I didn't start off trying to make this as long as a "book".. its just ended up this way! :))

Lip sync is a problem with all these new Onkyo receivers in this series, including the higher priced models. You will find owners within every single model level that both will and will not agree that there is indeed audio lag that gets introduced through this receiver. I think the reason for this variance of opinions isn't due to the fact that some people are more tolerant then others. I believe this is due to the fact that "some" source components create lag on their own to begin with and perhaps they were not overly visible before. (key word being "some" components, not all). However, after the receiver is installed the situation worsened to the point of VERY noticeable. I say this because on my cable box (even before this receiver) some HD channels via HDMI never created lag and some other ones were ALWAYS laggy. After the receiver they ALL became laggy and the bad ones became unbelievably BAD! So, I just want to clarify the problem DOES exist, but the extent of the problem is unique to each persons source equipment setup. (ex. Cable boxes, satellite boxes, tivos, consoles, dvd players, etc)

The good news is there are ways to fix this problem so that it is within a range that is tolerable and near perfect; Rather then something that is just angering to watch and listen to.

Every mode you select on this receiver (ex. DVD, DVR, CBL, GAME, etc) each of these modes allow you to individually tweak the audio lag unique for each mode. So when you follow these steps below be sure to tweak the A/V settings for ALL of your difference modes. (Ex. PS3, Cable, Xbox 360, etc) They all produce unique lag and this receiver will remember different A/V Sync delay settings for each of these Video Modes. Even if you are using analog and not HDMI you may experience audio lag and these steps below will come close to curing them.

===================================

Solution 1 (A/V Sync)

on the remote click "menu" and then select:
> 4. Source Setup > A/V Sync > (tweak this setting)

Take your time when adjusting this option the more energy you put into making this setting perfect the less aggravation you have later. You will very likely be finding yourself doing little 10-20ms second tweaks and going back and watching the tv and then going back through the menus and tweaking again and again and again! Just hang in there! :D A good tip is do 50-100ms jumps up an down the A/V Sync range until you think you are close.. then do the finite tweaking. Typically most things seem to sync up nice in the range of 0-70ms (I find with my equipment). However, one of my sources (a video game) required me to set the delay to the extreme high end. Just be sure to play around with the entire delay range before giving up if it doesn't work near 0ms you may need to jump it way higher.

Cable/Sat HDTV Sync TIPS:
I suggest when you set up your Cable or Satellite box that you pick a good non voice laggy "HD" channel (something that never lagged before you bought this new receiver) If you bought this receiver the same time as your tv, then plug the cable box directly to the tv and find a channel that seems like voices have no lip sync lag (or very little). This will become your "guinea pig" A/V sync testing base line channel to tweak your receiver to. I mention this because some channels where I live lag badly even when the I have box plugged directly into my tv's hdmi slot. If I attempted to voice sync just for that "bad" channel.. all my other channels would be horribly out of sync. This is why you need to tweak the receiver to a good non laggy channel. The good news is, that if you can A/V sync your receiver to this base-line channel, the lip sync matches up nicely on all the other channels. Even the really troublesome channels seem to be slightly improved (perhaps even better then they were originally, in worst case scenario exactly how they were originally without the receiver making it worse). You just have to differentiate; is the lag coming from the "channel", or my receiver? Some channels will just always be out of wack.. I rather have the majority function correctly though instead of them all suffering for the one screwed up channel.

Game Console Sync TIPS:
Video games are the easiest to tweak the A/V sync. Just find a game that produces a sound when you press a button on the controller.. you can adjust the A/V sync based on the delay between when you press the button, to the time when you hear the sound. In some ways this is a lot like setting the midi speed of midi musical instruments like keyboards and drum machines (for those of you who are musicians too) with really bad setting you press the button and a 1/4 second later you hear the sound. So this is a very tactile and easy sound sync trick for consoles.

PS3 as a Blu Ray movie player and a gaming console Sync TIPS:
You may notice that ps3 has a dual personality when plugged in via hdmi with this receiver. You may notice blu ray movies play with no lip sync lag, but the video games on the ps3 do! (or vice versa) Here lies the dilemma. Since you can only tweak the A/V sync for the whole ps3, you have to chose which is more important for perfect sync. The video games or the movies?! The ultimate solution is just buy an external blu ray or hd dvd player and sync the ps3 for what it was made to do best (play video games). I myself use it to game and to watch movies. Thankfully I own a Xbox 360 and all the good games come out for that console and i find myself rarely playing PS3 anyway. :D (I am sure I would get flamed for saying that on the Sony boards) Anyhow, I sync my receiver to watch movies perfectly on the PS3; But, yes the games can sometimes get WAY out of wack with the current settings I have chosen. Its up for you to decide.

===================================

Solution 2 (Speaker Distance Trick) Use only for extreme lag situations
If you find you are at maximum A/V adjustment range (either at 0 or at 250) and you still are not in sync.. do this option below.

on the remote click "menu" and then select:
> 2. Speaker Setup > Speaker Distance > (adjust these distances)

For every 1 foot you add to these speakers you get approximately 1ms of reduced lip sync delay... ex. 10 ft = 10 ms. If you find that on some of your receivers mode settings you are at the extreme top or bottom end of A/V sync and you still cant get it perfect try this technique above. Please note that if you add 10 feet to 1 speaker add exactly 10 feet to all the speakers. What this is doing is tricking the receiver into thinking your speakers are further away then they actually are in reality and they compensate by playing sooner thereby reducing the delay even further then is allowed in A/V Sync. Please be mindful that the maximum speaker distance range this receiver allows you to set up for is 30 feet. If you decide you want to add 10 feet to all your speakers be sure you can add +10 for all of your speaker's settings without going over 30ft. on any of them. Just increase or decrease this distance accordingly for your setup.

Please note, that when you do this speaker distance increase, it is holistic for the entire receiver and not an individual mode option. If you do this you 'may' have to go back and re-compensate the A/V sync on some of your other modes that you already tweaked to perfection.

Lastly, I have tried this myself with a lot of experimenting over the last week. Even though increasing the speaker distance to near 30 feet distance provides the best overall A/V sync solution, it DOES come at a cost. The tonal quality of my playback seemed like it took a slight degradation when I increased the distance that far. You will have to be the judge of that for yourself. To me it wasn't a horrible quality decrease but it seemed noticeable enough for me to go back and reduce the distance I set to put some vibrancy back into my system. This Option in my opinion is a trade off, lip sync correction for listening quality. Its a tough choice so this is why I said use only for extreme situations. This distance trick may not have such a negative effect on all speaker brands. Be a judge for yourself before you rule this option out totally before trying it.

===================================

Solution 3 (Lip Sync) All your equipment must be HDMI 1.3 and brand spanking new to get this feature!

If you own a HDMI 1.3 TV do the following:

on the remote click "menu" and then select:
> 7. Hardware Setup > HDMI > Lip Sync (switch this to enable)

now check for the following, select:
> 4. Source Setup > A/V Sync > "Lip Sync" option will now be visible below "A/V Sync" (tweak this setting)

I have an HDMI 1.2 tv so this rules me out of this category. However, the Onkyo manual says that if you select HDMI lip sync option in the Onkyo HDMI menu settings a new option will appear below the A/V sync option (described above) called Lip Sync ... this is an "extra" level of tweaking that you gain over other people. I know for a fact that if your tv is less then hdmi 1.3 this option is invisible in the Onkyo menu.

This lip sync delay adjustment may be that little extra bit that just makes everything sync up perfect. I have not tested this myself so I cant speak too greatly on this topic. Just know, if you have a full 1.3 hdmi setup (must be a 1.3 tv too) then you can play around with this feature and test it out.

===================================

I hope all this helps some of you new owners out there. Just spend your time really giving an honest effort in tweaking this lag situation and in the end you will be happier with your viewing experiences. I promise you!

Also, if you have something to add or correct on my post please let me know and I will add your edit in. We can use a link to this post to address this question for all the new buyers from this point forward. I created this because it seemed like we have this info spread out all over the place. Perhaps down the road, someone out there can take the time to start formulating an extensive FAQ with details and links to all the popular questions we can refer people to. It would make some of the regulars job here a little easier and be able to help people more efficiently at the same time.

djap2

10-04-07, 09:34 AM

Guys, I remembered some posts on lip synch and delay stuff from a while back and ive gone back and tracked them down for you. I found them by using the "Search This Thread" drop down at the top right of the screen, and searching for the word "delay". I knew that woots and mrgribbles had both made good posts on the subject

Basically at one point woots made a post saying that 0ms in the delay settings, actually gives the WORST delay. On a hunch he set the delay to the maximum value, and all but resolved his issues.

Then later on there is some discussion about speaker distance settings, where it was shown that setting them to be further away than they relaly are will reduce the delay as well.

It seemed that after following these 2 pieces of advice, some other people who had previously been complaining of lip synch issues confirmed that they were now pretty much rectified, and almost un-noticable.

Here are some links to those earlier posts hopefully you can read there, and the following discussions. Good luck!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11626312#post11626312
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11730829#post11730829
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11745744#post11745744

Thanks for the input. I did call Onkyo Technical Support and was surprised how bad their support is. The person sounded like I was bothering him and asked a few simple questions, blamed it on the firmware of the Comcast DVR. I pushed further and then he said to return it for another one because it was a bad circuit board on the receiver. He said this shouldn't be happening...that was it.

I'll try the speaker distance mod., after that I will report outcome.

I personally can't understand why we should have to decide between quality of audio and lip-sync timing (if suggestions do cure problem) on a new receiver - I look at my Yamaha 992 and think it might be worth putting back into the HT System after all.

csrini1

10-04-07, 12:46 PM

nope, 575 with some change out the door

thanks, does anyone know how long this code is valid?? till next weekend or oct 9th etc??

billymerritt

10-04-07, 01:02 PM

Since this problem is related to 705 copied post here also.

Got my A-35 from VE today and found a major problem with Eagles: Farewell 1 Tour -LFM. When using the HDMI set to auto and digital direct to auto in the A-35 setup menu I get audio noise not sound, went into menu and set HDMI to pcm and digital direct of and played OK. Enabled digital direct again and started to play but out of nowhere made a big pop sound(thought it blew my speakers) and then continued to play. This made me very uneasy so I selected the 2 channel pcm track and without problem. I have the Onkyo 705 and yes the display shows TureHD, and for a short time DTS-HD-Master until it scared crap out of me with the loud pop. Other titles with the DD tracks all seem to be just fine, however be careful with dts on HDDVD until your sure it's OK. Don't know if it was the receiver or the player that caused it? No, it wasn't the slight pop when audio format changes that have been reported, this was so loud I thought it actually broke something.
For me I will not play any DTS HDDVD unless I disable the digital direct and use pcm only until the bug is correct, if that's what it turns out to be. Will post more when I have had some more time with the player.

JoeFigueiredo

10-04-07, 01:27 PM

I just got my 705 last night and spent some time playing with the settings, and I have some questions:

1. I get an audible "click" from the 705 everytime I switch channels on my satellite receiver. I've set different listening modes for different source formats, so it changes each time. Anyway to prevent the loud "click" from happening?

2. With the Audissey setup, does it also calibrate the frequency levels for each speaker's range (like you can do manually)? Or does it only do distance, overall level, crossover?

3. In my 6.1 setup with sources over optical connections, is it best to use the following listening modes for each source:
a. Source is DD 5.1, so use DD EX
b. Source is DD 2.0, so use Dolby PLIIx Movie
c. Source is DTS, so use DTS
d. Source is DTS-ES, so use DTS-ES Discrete/Matrix

Or is using the THX modes, like Neural THX 7.1 the best? Or is it just personal preference. If so, what are the best modes for each source type?

garypen

10-04-07, 01:30 PM

you pretty much need a few feet in rear for sound to expand. if not it would sound too localized. if i were you i would stick to 5.1.Or, put both surround and rear surround to the side, with the rears further back.

pclement

10-04-07, 01:32 PM

I remember reading that this reciever went on sale at CC for 550. Did this just happen once or more then once. When was the last time it was this low? Anybody know??

Three times, July 31, August 12 and September 6. In the a.m. and for very short time periods (4 hours or less). Many used 10% off coupons that expired on August 31, 2007 to reduce the price to 495. I saw the sale on the 6th, but by the time I got my AAA 10% discount coupon (expires December 31, 2007) the sale price was gone! Haven't seen it since. Other sites are getting close to the same price as noted above. Maybe Columbus Day will entice a few sales.

garypen

10-04-07, 01:40 PM

Even though increasing the speaker distance to near 30 feet distance provides the best overall A/V sync solution, it DOES come at a cost. The tonal quality of my playback seemed like it took a slight degradation when I increased the distance that far. That doesn't make sense, technically. The only thing changing the distance should do to the signal is affect the timing to the amp. It shouldn't affect EQ at all.

tranzparentl

10-04-07, 01:55 PM

Three times, July 31, August 12 and September 6. In the a.m. and for very short time periods (4 hours or less). Many used 10% off coupons that expired on August 31, 2007 to reduce the price to 495. I saw the sale on the 6th, but by the time I got my AAA 10% discount coupon (expires December 31, 2007) the sale price was gone! Haven't seen it since. Other sites are getting close to the same price as noted above. Maybe Columbus Day will entice a few sales.

How do you get the AAA 10% off discount code? My girl has AAA.

Also, I was thinking of getting this rack for my equipement.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanus-Systems-Accurate-Furniture-Audio/dp/B00004U8A0******sr_1_3/002-3615563-3880002?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1191520776&sr=8-3

The shelves are 9" and I know the 705 is 6.9" high. That only leaves 2.1" but the sides and back are completely open to let air circulate.

Do you guys think that is enough clearance? I could put it on the top shelf if need be.

garypen

10-04-07, 02:12 PM

605:
fanless
1 Digital Signal Processor = less potential for lip-synch problems
less DSP's so most likely less heat problems

705:
Phono In
3 DSP's, more sound modes
10 more watts
TXH logo (means you get more preset eq modes)
Pre-outs for all 7 channels in case 100 watts doesn't do it for you
1+ optical, coaxial, and hdmi input
Better HDMI upscaling

...did I miss anything?7-band EQ vs 5-band?

Chuck_IV

10-04-07, 02:16 PM

I agree - I also noticed people were still turning down the delay to 0 in spite of the findings by woots.

Thanks for the add'l info from audyssey on relative distances -- I missed that. Your information and advice has been very helpful :).

I don't know why, but putting the delay to 0 works for me(Directv HR20/PS3/Toshiba A20) -> 705 -> Sony XBR4). I don't know why it works for me, but it does. The wife doesn't see any issues either(so it's not just me not seeing it). Maybe it's because I have a 35ft HDMI cable run to my TV(I doubt that is it tho).

I'm wondering if there's something different with some people's 705, vs others, because I do see some others say they don't see a delay either.

Artslinger

10-04-07, 02:27 PM

Thanks for the input. I did call Onkyo Technical Support and was surprised how bad their support is. The person sounded like I was bothering him and asked a few simple questions, blamed it on the firmware of the Comcast DVR. I pushed further and then he said to return it for another one because it was a bad circuit board on the receiver. He said this shouldn't be happening...that was it.

I'll try the speaker distance mod., after that I will report outcome.

I personally can't understand why we should have to decide between quality of audio and lip-sync timing (if suggestions do cure problem) on a new receiver - I look at my Yamaha 992 and think it might be worth putting back into the HT System after all.

I'm with you on Onkyo's bad customer service. I purchased an extended warranty through Onkyo's website 2 1/2 months ago and have not received any paperwork or confirmation. I emailed customer service two times with absolutly no response; I also called Onkyo three times and all three times was transferred to a person that was "out of the office today" this is three separate times within three weeks, and even worse no return call! Compare this to Adcom, I emailed them a question a few weeks ago about my 15 year old amp and received a very nice and helpful email within 6 hours.

Here is a big call out to you ONKYO ... customer service does matter to the consumer and it does influence their buying decisions.

Artslinger

10-04-07, 02:30 PM

I don't know why, but putting the delay to 0 works for me(Directv HR20/PS3/Toshiba A20) -> 705 -> Sony XBR4). I don't know why it works for me, but it does. The wife doesn't see any issues either(so it's not just me not seeing it). Maybe it's because I have a 35ft HDMI cable run to my TV(I dount that is it tho).

I'm wondering if there's something different with some people's 705, vs others, because I do see some others say they don't see a delay either.

IMO it has more to do with the your provider box. I get very little if any delay with DVD, but my crap Comcast box has very noticeable delay issues.

EricPu

10-04-07, 03:27 PM

How do you get the AAA 10% off discount code? My girl has AAA.

Also, I was thinking of getting this rack for my equipement.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanus-Systems-Accurate-Furniture-Audio/dp/B00004U8A0******sr_1_3/002-3615563-3880002?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1191520776&sr=8-3

The shelves are 9" and I know the 705 is 6.9" high. That only leaves 2.1" but the sides and back are completely open to let air circulate.

Do you guys think that is enough clearance? I could put it on the top shelf if need be.

Visit AAA.com/circuitcity and follow the directions. Coupon will be emailed to you.

EricPu

10-04-07, 03:35 PM

Was planning on buying a 705 this evening from CC. They are on sale and I've got the 10% AAA coupon (as I am a member of AAA). Nice overall price.

I was hoping that I'd be able to utilize both zones at the same time. For example, the kids are watching a DVD/TV in one room and I'm listening to music in second room/zone via a different source (e.g. radio/phono/CD) . Is this possible?

Also, I read that the 705 comes with "powered zone 2". The 605 just said 'zone 2' with no mention of powered. Can someone tell me what the difference is between the two?

Cheers,
Eric

woots

10-04-07, 03:52 PM

That doesn't make sense, technically. The only thing changing the distance should do to the signal is affect the timing to the amp. It shouldn't affect EQ at all.

Ya i agree technically it makes no sense.. but my ears don't lie. I added 15 feet to all my speakers back and forth a couple times. I can hear a shift in quality. At 1st I thought it was just volume level since I get a distinct sense it sounds more muffled right away. However, after keeping those big settings for a week and watching lots of HD movies I started getting the sense I was loosing imaging quality of my surround too. I wasn't able to hear the certain things from the rears when I could when I put them closer.

One technical possibility to explain this is the receiver may be attempting to simulate audible reality of that given distance. If an object is 30 feet away it will sound less loud then if its 10 feet away. I am not sure the extent of the sound processing, but it could also effect the reverb and some other effects due to the greater distance too.

csrini1

10-04-07, 04:01 PM

nope, 575 with some change out the door

price increased to 609 from 575 after coupon.!!

aafflyer

10-04-07, 10:02 PM

price increased to 609 from 575 after coupon.!!

Actually, it's that price before the coupon is now $648. So 6% off coupon yields $609.

jack1939

10-04-07, 10:34 PM

zoro

10-04-07, 11:33 PM

check vanns clearence for under 550

smgord

10-04-07, 11:49 PM

JoeFigueiredo

10-04-07, 11:50 PM

Which mode is the best for listening to music?

Pure Audio or Stereo?

The 705 sees the signal as 48kHz (Winamp from a PC playing FLAC music files) over optical SPDIF.

scarecrow420

10-05-07, 12:01 AM

Is there any way to program the 705 so that when you switch to an input, the audio switches only, and not the video? I am running a Tivo and DVD Recorder through the 705 via HDMI in, and HDMI out to the TV. However, I am also running a digital cable to the front aux input for my airport express, and find that I can't leave anything on the TV screen when I switch to the aux input. That's the only optical in left, so I can't pick another one. So, can I train it to switch audio only when I select aux?
you can assign any of the digital inputs to be the audio source for any of the receiver channels. Check the input assign menu (cant remeber the exact name at the moment). There is also a "Digital Input" button on the front of the unit that cycles them i think

So at the very least, you should be able to select the video channel you want to watch, and then change it so that the AUX input is providing the sound for that channel

I do know that when changing to the TUNER, it leaves the video signal of whatever previous channel was selected... perhaps some of the other inputs function the same (maybe CD or TAPE)... you may be able to assign the optical 3 (called FRONT) to the CD channel, and see if it still displays the video of the previous channel when you switch to CD

aafflyer

10-05-07, 12:04 AM

check vanns clearence for under 550

FYI, clearance prices are open box returns.

smgord

10-05-07, 12:28 AM

you can assign any of the digital inputs to be the audio source for any of the receiver channels. Check the input assign menu (cant remeber the exact name at the moment). There is also a "Digital Input" button on the front of the unit that cycles them i think

So at the very least, you should be able to select the video channel you want to watch, and then change it so that the AUX input is providing the sound for that channel

I do know that when changing to the TUNER, it leaves the video signal of whatever previous channel was selected... perhaps some of the other inputs function the same (maybe CD or TAPE)... you may be able to assign the optical 3 (called FRONT) to the CD channel, and see if it still displays the video of the previous channel when you switch to CD

Tuner, CD, Tape and Phono are all audio only, so they don't switch video at all. Unfortunately, you can't assign the front digital input to anything but AUX -- it is grayed out in the menu. Your solution would work if I could use one of the back digital inputs and then assign it to one of the audio only inputs, but those are taken. I'm kind of getting a headache thinking about this, but I suppose I could reassign the HDMI input that the DVD is using as AUX, and then run the DVD digital cable to the front AUX input. Then, I could plug the Airport Express into the freed-up digital input in back, and assign that to one of the audio-only inputs, like TAPE. I'll have to try that one ...

Uptown193

10-05-07, 12:36 AM

scarecrow420

10-05-07, 12:38 AM

Tuner, CD, Tape and Phono are all audio only, so they don't switch video at all. Unfortunately, you can't assign the front digital input to anything but AUX -- it is grayed out in the menu. Your solution would work if I could use one of the back digital inputs and then assign it to one of the audio only inputs, but those are taken. I'm kind of getting a headache thinking about this, but I suppose I could reassign the HDMI input that the DVD is using as AUX, and then run the DVD digital cable to the front AUX input. Then, I could plug the Airport Express into the freed-up digital input in back, and assign that to one of the audio-only inputs, like TAPE. I'll have to try that one ...If you're using HDMI for your DVD player why use optical as well? Doesnt the DVD do audio over HDMI? Are you using all of the coax digital inputs? My cable box has both optical and coax, so i can use coax on it, saving the opticals for devices that only have optical (my xbox and non HDMI DVD player). There's also the option of those little convertor boxes that convert between optical and coax digital

smgord

10-05-07, 12:44 AM

If you're using HDMI for your DVD player why use optical as well? Doesnt the DVD do audio over HDMI? Are you using all of the coax digital inputs? My cable box has both optical and coax, so i can use coax on it, saving the opticals for devices that only have optical (my xbox and non HDMI DVD player). There's also the option of those little convertor boxes that convert between optical and coax digital

No, not using any of the coax inputs, which was the next thing I thought of after I posted. I was under the impression that you get better sound if you also run a digital audio cable -- my installers actually did it independently, and several of the user manuals also suggest it. Is it unnecessary, or actually worse?

scarecrow420

10-05-07, 12:49 AM

No, not using any of the coax inputs, which was the next thing I thought of after I posted. I was under the impression that you get better sound if you also run a digital audio cable -- my installers actually did it independently, and several of the user manuals also suggest it. Is it unnecessary, or actually worse?well it depends on your source device, but HDMI is also a digital audio cable, and actually has a higher bandwidth - can handle full 7.1 channels of uncompressed PCM, whereas digital optical or coax cables only have the bandwidth to transmit stereo (2.1) in uncompressed PCM (i think its only 2 channels).

Of course if you are sending bitstream dolby digital or DTS (ie the DD or DTS signal is sent to the AVR and it does the decoding there), then the optical/coax cables have the bandwidth to send that fine... but HDMI can also easily send this.

Basically you shouldnt need the optical/coax cable from your DVD player, assuming it can send the audio via HDMI. you should also set the audio output of the DVD player to bitstream rather than PCM so the decoding is done by the onkyo

Hopefully that also frees you up an optical input for use with your "Airport Express" (whatever that is??)

Chuck_IV

10-05-07, 12:53 AM

I had planned on purchasing an A35 from VE next week in connection with my 705, but think I will hold off a few days to see if you or someone comes up with a solution to the problem. Did you talk to the folks at VE regarding this issue?

billymerritt posted in the A35 TrueHD thread that after he reset his receiver, everything is fine now...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11814120#post11814120

smgord

10-05-07, 12:53 AM

well it depends on your source device, but HDMI actually has a higher bandwidth and can transmit 7.1 channels of uncompressed PCM, whereas digital optical or coax cables only have the bandwidth to transmit stereo (2.1) in uncompressed PCM.

Of course if you are sending bitstream dolby digital or DTS (ie the DD or DTS signal is sent to the AVR and it does the decoding there), then the optical/coax cables have the bandwidth to send that fine... but HDMI can also easily send this.

Basically you shouldnt need the optical/coax cable from your DVD player, assuming it can send the audio via HDMI. you should also set the audio output of the DVD player to bitstream rather than PCM so the decoding is done by the onkyo

Hopefully that also frees you up an optical input for use with your "Airport Express" (whatever that is??)

Now I'm really confused, because I disconnected the digital audio cable from the Tivo, and set the corresponding audio input to the applicable HDMI input -- and got no sound at all. Thanks for all your help, by the way -- any light you have to shed on the preceding tale would be appreciated.

EDIT: I got it to work with the HDMI connection. Thanks again.

By the way, an Airport Express is the Apple-brand audio streaming device -- it joins your wireless network and streams audio from your computer to your stereo.

scarecrow420

10-05-07, 12:57 AM

Now I'm really confused, because I disconnected the digital audio cable from the Tivo, and set the corresponding audio input to the applicable HDMI input -- and got no sound at all. Thanks for all your help, by the way -- any light you have to shed on the preceding tale would be appreciated.

By the way, an Airport Express is the Apple-brand audio streaming device -- it joins your wireless network and streams audio from your computer to your stereo.so are we dealing with your tivo here, or your DVD player? In either case, the device probably needs to be told you want it to send audio via HDMI. Have a look in the DVD (or tivo) setup menus to see if you can set this. yo uare on the right track with the onkyo though, you set its audio input to HDMI 1/2/3 as appropriate... but the source device may need to know it needs to output audio via HDMI and no optical

smgord

10-05-07, 01:21 AM

so are we dealing with your tivo here, or your DVD player? In either case, the device probably needs to be told you want it to send audio via HDMI. Have a look in the DVD (or tivo) setup menus to see if you can set this. yo uare on the right track with the onkyo though, you set its audio input to HDMI 1/2/3 as appropriate... but the source device may need to know it needs to output audio via HDMI and no optical

I didn't see this response before I edited my previous post. Essentially, I got it to work. In fact, it's much better -- two fewer cables (it was DVD and Tivo) and the Airport Express plugged in back, to a digital optical input that is now assigned to PHONO, so that it is both not plugged in in front, and also does not affect the video when I switch to it. Thanks again.

Mithan

10-05-07, 03:03 AM

Confused, I was interested in purchasing a 705 next weekend but from hearing all these problems people are having with this lip-synch problem im thinking about changing my mind.

I would like to know if anyone here lives in NY, has a Pio 5070, using a SA8300 HD DVR, PS3, xbox 360 and this 705 receiver and having this lip-synch issue????

I am in the same boat as you, just waiting for my new sofa to come in between Oct 15-20 and I am going to buy one of these along with a new TV (46V3000, 46W3000 or the 46XBR4, not sure yet).

I am going to pick it up and see. If there is delay or I can't work it out, I am going to go down to the 605, which has no reports of lip synch issues.

However from what I have read, the 805 has more of a problem than the 705....

If I were you, pick it up at a place you can return it, give it a shot trying the settings mentioned earlier in this thread and if you cant fix it, take it back.

DMILANI

10-05-07, 06:59 AM

I'm going to have to disagree that setting the A/V Sync to anything other than 0ms is best for synchronizing audio and video for problems where the audio "lags" the video.

Last night I was tweaking my setup. On my cable system, NBC HD has the most offensive audio lag (although, not really that bad), and when I changed the A/V Sync setting from the factory default of 40ms to 0ms, it aligned the audio/video streams nicely. If I set the A/V Sync to a high number (max is 250ms) I get horrible delay on the audio (i.e., makes the original problem much, much worse).

So maybe folks that are suggesting a higher setting for A/V Sync have local cable problems where the "video" is lagging the audio, and not the other way around. It's possible, since it's hard to tell sometimes what is off in situations with lip sync problems.

-D

mrgribbles

10-05-07, 07:46 AM

Expect sync issues with cable boxes. TNT is the worst followed by a handful of others. Its a known problem. Here's an article on TNT attempting to fix it. Don't judge any receiver by broadcast or cable. In my estimation the most valid criticism is that the audio sync adjustment is too much one way, as woots and others have pointed out. With the exception of TNT, I have no complaints on sync issues after I spent a bit of time source adjusting. If I recall, I'm at 30 ms for most sources.

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0082/t.8587.html

Artslinger

10-05-07, 08:37 AM

Sync problems are not just with the new Onkyo's from what I have read it is a common problem with many newer AVRs. It has to do with the complex audio proceessing.

I can never get the sync perfect on my 705 if I adjust for the Comcast box it messes up the sync on my DVD player. Much of the blame for the sync issues should go to the content providers IMO.

woots

10-05-07, 08:44 AM

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0082/t.8587.html

Thx for that link mrgribbles its good to know turner is finally doing something about this. :)

I'm going to have to disagree that setting the A/V Sync to anything other than 0ms is best for synchronizing audio and video for problems where the audio "lags" the video.

If that was in reference to a link posted to one of my early experimentation comments.... Its taken slightly out of context. Typically 0-70ms is the pocket for nice sync up. However that is not universally true. That link was in reference to me trying to get a PS3 game synced up. I had to jump it up to the extreme high end to get it to work normal. I posted that comment that day as a reminder that if you cant get a source to sync up properly around the low end.. try the illogical and go high end (which I tried on that day) and it worked oddly enough. When taken out of context it seems like misinformation if treated as the end all rule to fix everything.

This is why I created a very polished consolidated post just yesterday on this entire Onkyo audio sync issue. I don't think many people saw it since it was the very last post of an entire thread page and was at the the start of a new day for threads so people just read the new thread page. Anyway if anyone missed it you can check it out here.

Guide on Correcting Onkyo Audio Sync Delay (click here) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11810012#post11810012)

mrgribbles

10-05-07, 08:48 AM

mrgribbles

10-05-07, 08:51 AM

you know what the problem with that article is woots? It starts off "Beginning in 2006," Hey Ted, its almost 2008. I think they were throwing us a bone with this article

woots

10-05-07, 09:12 AM

you know what the problem with that article is woots? It starts off "Beginning in 2006," Hey Ted, its almost 2008. I think they were throwing us a bone with this article

What also ironic is that they need all this special audio sync equipment. I mean the audio delay on TNT is do damn bad a monkey could see it. I can respect the use of precise equipment to get this perfect. However, at this stage I just wish they tweaked it by hand. All of us here are managing to get our delays near perfect with 2 highly tuned pieces of precise measurement (our eyes and ears). I guess TNT doesn't have either of those! :D

I know I am over trivializing to an extent.. but certainly they could tweak this better then this is now. If they need something that audio syncs different broadcasts on the fly (perhaps since every source has its own lag issues) they should just sync up the major shows and let the rest slide like they do now for everything.

Good post all the same!

Artslinger

10-05-07, 09:18 AM

Why would one affect the other? You can adjust sync individually for each input.

You can? I will have to take another look at the manual.

::::::::::::::::

I missed step 3 in the manual:

Use the INPUT SELECTOR buttons
on the remote controller to
select the input source that you
want to correct.

No wonder it wasn't working for me. LOL.

jack1939

10-05-07, 09:26 AM

billymerritt posted in the A35 TrueHD thread that after he reset his receiver, everything is fine now...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11814120#post11814120

Thanks!

Transcend

10-05-07, 10:44 AM

This is why I created a very polished consolidated post just yesterday on this entire Onkyo audio sync issue Guide on Correcting Onkyo Audio Sync Delay (click here) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11810012#post11810012)
Very helpful - will keep it handy when I set up my new 705 (should receive it today).

mrgribbles

10-05-07, 10:48 AM

You can? I will have to take another look at the manual.

::::::::::::::::

I missed step 3 in the manual:

Use the INPUT SELECTOR buttons
on the remote controller to
select the input source that you
want to correct.

No wonder it wasn't working for me. LOL.

And don't forget that the adjustment menu will persist and you can view the source while changing settings. The problem is that the persist time is only a couple of seconds so you have to keep pressing buttons, effective but annoying.

RandyHF

10-05-07, 02:45 PM

Anyone use the "switched" AC outlet on the back? Mine seems to be on in both standby and "on" settings. Is there a way to change that?

Uptown193

10-05-07, 03:29 PM

If I were you, pick it up at a place you can return it, give it a shot trying the settings mentioned earlier in this thread and if you cant fix it, take it back.

Yea i think i will do that. but its so sad that we pay good hard eared money to buy this receiver and have to worry about these issues instead of just plugging it in and enjoying it.

celliobp

10-05-07, 03:32 PM

MrBigglesworth

10-05-07, 04:20 PM

I ran into some video upconversion issues through my xbox but that was mostly because the component->HDMI maxes out at 720p and I was running my xbox at 1080p. For awhile I was getting no video at all even though it still should have outputted at 720p.

ARRGGH, this isnt upconversion! Which model of Onkyo does take a 1080i component input and pass a 1080i HDMI signal?

I have a Mitsubishi Diamond 65 inch CRT unit. Its max is 1080i via DVI (HDCP input). This TV will NOT accept a 720p signal.

the crane

10-05-07, 04:24 PM

I have read a number of posts in this thread, not all 1847 mind you, but a lot. I purchased a 705 from CC the other day to power my Rocket 760 mains, 200 center, 300 surrounds and SVS PB12-Plus. So far I am totally impressed by the speaker setup and receiver.

My question is about my Toshiba XA2 HD-DVD player. The XA2 doesn't have the bitstream audio output firmware available yet, so I am sending the PCM signal from the XA2 to the 705 encoded for Dolby True HD. Since the THD light doesn't come on with the XA2 how can I tell if I am actually getting THD?

When I watch THD movies I keep the receiver mode on DIRECT, which according to the manual will accept the THD signal. Is there another processing mode that works better than DIRECT? I just want to make sure I am getting the full audio experience.

bobs10

10-05-07, 07:56 PM

Anyone got a 60A3000 Sony hooked up to the TXSR705? They're both HDMI 1.30 but I'm not sure the Sony has lip-sync capabilities yet. Speaking of the problem as a larger issue, I'm wondering if having everything HDMI 1.3 at this point makes any difference with lip-sync problems. Are there any HDTVs out there making use of the HDMI 1.3 lip-sync capabilities yet?

Draknorr

10-05-07, 10:34 PM

I'm having a bit of a problem with my new Onkyo 705.

TV: Westinghouse 37w3

First off, I'm pretty sure it's not a faulty receiver. I have exchanged it twice now, and once I tried a 605 which also didn't work. This has lead me to believe something is up with the scaler and either my TV or 360.

I can't seem to pass through the 1080p XBox 360 signal via HDMI to my TV. If I plug my 360 into receiver then out to TV, when I turn on my 360 it does nothing. I can tell it boots up by the rings changing status and my controller being found, but I get no audio and no video. I'm 100% sure I have all my input settings correct, same settings work fine if I swap my PS3 over to that HDMI input.

I have a PS3 and my DVD player both also hooked up and running in 1080p via HDMI, both work great.

I had previously run it through a Onkyo 604 which worked fine at 1080p. I can run the 360 directly to TV and it also works fine on 1080p.

Finally, if I switch the 360 to 1080i, or 720p it works dandy through the receiver.

Anyone have a suggestion?

OBSSSD

10-05-07, 11:21 PM

I ordered my 705 from a distributor on ebay for $559 - search item number 120167751421 and you will be happy :)

tmu77

10-06-07, 12:41 AM

Can someone advise how to change the display output using the Onkyo secret/hidden menu? I know to use the "AIX + Standby" buttons to show the current setting and it's on default - "auto".

Is it possible to change this to show 720 or similar and how do I actually cycle through these options? When I press "Display" it shows 576i/50.

Much appreciated.

BTW:
I posted ealier a mention about the heat - I have since received a call back from my local service center and was advised that the 2 fans only start when you reach approx. 60 Degrees (Celsius). Furthermore, the unit will start turning itself off and lower power output when it reaches critical levels: approx. 70 Degrees (Celsius). You'll start smelling the burning and hearing popping sounds at this stage (a good sign that something is going wrong fast).

tmu77

10-06-07, 03:09 AM

Just re: my previous post - I have attempted this but had no luck. I'm guessing it is because the TV cannot do it (yes..it's quite old).

1. Hold down the Aux button on the front panel of the receiver.
2. While holding down Aux, press Power.
3. The LED display should read "Resolution: Auto." Use the directional controls to the right of the display to change to 720p.

That last part doesn't appear to work: "directional controls on the right of the display...". For me this does not change the setting - assuming it's due to the old TV.

woots

10-06-07, 03:37 AM

ARRGGH, this isnt upconversion! Which model of Onkyo does take a 1080i component input and pass a 1080i HDMI signal?

I have a Mitsubishi Diamond 65 inch CRT unit. Its max is 1080i via DVI (HDCP input). This TV will NOT accept a 720p signal.

If you want 1080p up-convert you need a Onkyo 905

This model doesn't up-convert lower source resolutions to 1080p, but it passes identical resolutions through just fine from the same format in to the same format out.

via HDMI in and HDMI out
1080p in = 1080p out
1080i in = 1080i out
720p in = 720p out

via Component in and Component out
1080p in = 1080p out
1080i in = 1080i out
720p in = 720p out

However a 1080p component video signal will get down-converted on HDMI output to 720p (maximum res if you crank it up in the secret menu)

Also, any 480 signal source will not get up-converted to 1080p on this receiver.

This receiver passes through 1080p perfectly it just wont up-convert to 1080p.

woots

10-06-07, 03:44 AM

BTW:
I posted ealier a mention about the heat - I have since received a call back from my local service center and was advised that the 2 fans only start when you reach approx. 60 Degrees (Celsius). Furthermore, the unit will start turning itself off and lower power output when it reaches critical levels: approx. 70 Degrees (Celsius). You'll start smelling the burning and hearing popping sounds at this stage (a good sign that something is going wrong fast).

Nice heat guideline for this unit. Seems odd that 70c is critical for something like a amplifier. A PC CPU can take more typically, I saw a video of a cpu only igniting on fire at around 130-140c (fails before this but ignites around then). Hell my laptop gets up to 60-70c on occasions and still chugs along.

Thx for the post though.

djap2

10-06-07, 06:43 AM

Anyone having problems with the the SR705 when switching channels on their cable box (I have a motorola 3416 DVR) or between sources?
I get a 1/2 second to 2 second of silence before the audio kicks in.
This is separate from the lip sync issue....this is total silence.
It even happens when using the 30 second quick skip, which results in missing some important audio from a show.

dropzone7

10-06-07, 09:26 AM

OBSSSD

10-06-07, 12:58 PM

If you want 1080p up-convert you need a Onkyo

However a 1080p component video signal will get down-converted on HDMI output to 720p (maximum res if you crank it up in the secret menu)

Also, any 480 signal source will not get up-converted to 1080p on this receiver.

This receiver passes through 1080p perfectly it just wont up-convert to 1080p.

How do you get to the secret menu and is that for the 705 only or also for the 605? I ask because I have one of each.

Thanks!

Chris

Enigma

10-06-07, 01:05 PM

How do you get to the secret menu and is that for the 705 only or also for the 605? I ask because I have one of each.
It's for the 605 as well. Here's a post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11304075#post11304075) with instructions. Remember it must be done from the unit, not with the remote.

mrgribbles

10-06-07, 01:29 PM

Hey guys, I am curious what most of you are using for your home theater listening levels with the 705. I finally hooked mine up yesterday with my first three Ascend speakers and a sub (still waiting on the surrounds) and I thought I had a problem until I realized that I needed to turn up the volume a good bit to get anything. Actually around -20 to -25 was a good loud but not painful volume for me. On another note, I fixed my HDMI problem by adding in a Monoprice 4-1 switcher which outputs nicely to my HD Fury device and then to the projector. Many thanks to member Rolls-Royce for that suggestion! Oh, how about this blue light I am supposed to be seeing? I get a blue light with the Pure Audio button but my volume knob has no light.

Edit: Ah, nevermind on the volume light. I found the answer on page 61 of the manual. A combination of presses of the "Dimmer" button. I guess I need to break down and actually read the manual.

-26 to -18 depending on the source. I can't play it at 0, I'll lose what little hearing I have.

woots

10-06-07, 03:13 PM

-26 to -18 depending on the source. I can't play it at 0, I'll lose what little hearing I have.

What did you say? I couldn't hear you :rolleyes:

*I guess this lets you all know what volume I run my TV at!* :D

Just joking... i usually run at 50% total volume for normal comfortably loud listening. 30-40% of total for late night
... and 70-90% total volume when someone starts talking in the middle of my movie and I want them to leave... immediately! :)

Yes my remote gives me the power to become evil... but only when its fully charged up!

dx31698

10-06-07, 03:47 PM

I just bought this reciever, and im having problems with it. Ive connected a PS3, Hd-dvd player, dvr, and wii. The ps3 and wii work fine, but the dvr and hd-dvd player, I only have video and no sound. i cant figure out what im missing here. Anybody have any suggesttions. Both are hooked up by hdmi. Thanks

Chuck_IV

10-06-07, 04:03 PM

dx31698

10-06-07, 04:13 PM

yeh did that already

dropzone7

10-06-07, 06:22 PM

-26 to -18 depending on the source. I can't play it at 0, I'll lose what little hearing I have.

Okay, cool. That's exactly the range I am listening in right now. I just don't recall dialing it in that high with past receivers. I had a Pioneer 1014 (much less expensive receiver) that -17 would be ear piercing. I was thinking that my room would need a lot of absorption but if I suck up any more sound then I might run out of volume.

dx31698

10-06-07, 10:45 PM

Transcend

10-06-07, 10:49 PM

So im trying to figure out al these listening modes. This is what I have, a PS3, HD-DVD, Wii and DVR. if anyone has these components can you suggest a listening mode for me. I had a onkyo 604 before this, so the thx modes are all new to me. Any help woudl be great

1. PS3
2. HD-DVD
3. DVR
4. Wii
Are you getting sound out of your dvr and hd-dvd player now? :confused:
but the dvr and hd-dvd player, I only have video and no sound.

dx31698

10-06-07, 10:54 PM

i got the dvr working, but still not the hd-dvd...gonna take another crack at it tomorow. I called onkyo, on hold for over 30 minutes and then got disconnected

Chuck_IV

10-06-07, 11:02 PM

So im trying to figure out al these listening modes. This is what I have, a PS3, HD-DVD, Wii and DVR. if anyone has these components can you suggest a listening mode for me. I had a onkyo 604 before this, so the thx modes are all new to me. Any help woudl be great

1. PS3
2. HD-DVD
3. DVR
4. Wii

After trying a few, I settled on the THX Select2 Cinema mode, pretty much for everything video related(Directv DVR/HD-DVD/PS3). It seems to do a nice job of expanding things out to 7.1

dx31698

10-06-07, 11:25 PM

right now i only have 5.1. so will the thx make a difference for me

Uptown193

10-07-07, 02:15 AM

woots

10-07-07, 02:50 AM

wow these Onkyo receivers are gettin really mixed reviews, only a hand full are completely satisfied and im looking to get this 705 next weekend but im starting to changing my mind with all these lip-synch problems, bad customer service and bad video upscaling. whats the deal, how do u guys put up with this. is it only me that thinks this is a serious problem that needs attending to or just let it go. where is the firmware for these malfunctions???????

How do we put up with this? For me there is nothing to "put up with" its fine!

UPSCALING:
I knew this model didn't upscale video to 1080p.. but it passes 1080p through perfectly. I knew if I wanted to upscale (low rez sources to 1080p) I would have to spend A WHOLE LOT more and get Onkyo 905. This doesn't bother me, you get what you pay for on video upscaling.

Thats like being mad that if you buy a Honda Accord it won't perform like a Ferrari Enzo.

LIP SYNC:
Lip Sync is not an issue at all! This receiver allows you to A/V sync delay for ALL of your sources separately. Initially, right out of the box if you don't tweak the A/V sync, IT IS an issue. After you tweak it, its FIXED! Granted, it may not be too obvious that a lil extra and boring tweak time will make things perfect again. Its also not obvious that every source can be tweaked individually and settings get stored for each source input individually (Attempting to tweak A/V sync one time to fix all devices doesn't work. You have to do it for each device you own, through each source input on the receiver). You cannot hate a device based on the fact that some new end-users haven't learned how to set it up properly yet.

It would be like getting mad if my receiver didn't play sound from my speakers because I didn't take the time to plug the speaker wire in. You have to set it up right, for it to work right!

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
Customer service isn't something I dealt with on Onkyo products. Thankfully I haven't had the need. If my unit ever fails I will contend with that when it comes. I am used to 90% of all companies customer service being horrible anyway. My hands are tied on that though.

If I bought products based solely on customer service quality I would probably never buy anything again.

MY OPINION ON THE 705:
As for me, I LOVE this receiver, it sounds amazing and the price was great! My 1080p HDMI video looks just as clean, sharp and sexy as it did when it was plugged directly into my LCD. Despite what you may think after reading my above comments; I am not very tolerant to shortcomings on products, nor am I an Onkyo fanboy. However, I am very logical, you cant be mad at something when you don't have all the facts. Reading the manual isn't something a majority of people like to do. However, in certain cases like this, it would benefit a great number of people here who are having problems. The only real concern I have for my 705, is that is never gets overheated and burns out like those 805's. Thankfully this one serious concern doesn't seem to be showing its ugly face on these units.

Enigma

10-07-07, 02:56 AM

How do we put up with this?

I knew this model didn't upscale video to 1080p.. but it passes 1080p through perfectly. .....

Lip Sync is not an issue at all. This receiver allows you to shift sync delay for all your sources. Out of the box (if you don't tweak it) its an issue. After you tweak it, its fixed. .....

Customer service isn't something I dealt with on Onkyo products. Thankfully I haven't had the need. .....

I love this receiver it sounds amazing and price was great. The 705 doesn't get all overheated like those 805 so thankfully the one REAL concern doesn't seem to be showing its ugly face.Excellent post, I agree with the whole thing. Been very pleased with my 705.

Transcend

10-07-07, 11:00 AM

dx31698

10-07-07, 11:56 AM

so when playing a blu-ray from ps3, and say it has a dolby true hd track. Would adding THX cinema make it any better, worse, or do nothing t all.

Transcend

10-07-07, 12:04 PM

so when playing a blu-ray from ps3, and say it has a dolby true hd track. Would adding THX cinema make it any better, worse, or do nothing t all.

I myself only have a 5.1 speaker setup.

dx31698

10-07-07, 12:13 PM

so do i, so is the whole thx things worthless to me untill i get a 7.1 system???

Transcend

10-07-07, 01:18 PM

so do i, so is the whole thx things worthless to me untill i get a 7.1 system???

It depends. For one thing, THX certification requires the product to meet stringent standards; whether you use THX processing or not, the unit should be well made.

Secondly, there is a 5.1 THX listening mode called "Neural THX 5.1". See page 67 of your manual.

Lastly, according to the manual, you only need a 6.1 system to unlock THX Surround EX.

I might eventually buy the add'l two speakers, but for now I think what I can get with my 5.1 setup is plenty.

smgord

10-07-07, 02:28 PM

When I turn the 705 on for the first time of the day, if I select TUNER, I get nothing but hiss. I have to switch to a different input and then back to TUNER to get the audio.

This does not happen if I turn it off and then turn it back on shortly after, and it is a repeatable event. I noticed by accident yesterday, and then this morning, turned it on, switched to TUNER before the current input could kick in, and got the same result.

Does it sound like my unit is defective?

Dgephri

10-07-07, 06:04 PM

Is the consensus that THX Select2 is the best for 5.1/6.1 Lossless and MasterHD input if you have a 7.1 setup?

Uptown193

10-07-07, 08:00 PM

How do we put up with this? For me there is nothing to "put up with" its fine!

Yea for you, but what about the other 90% of people in this thread, oh yea, who cares, that dosent concern you right.

But you are probably right about new end users not tweaking it and being lazy about doing it. They expect it to work properly right out of the box. As for me I will be picking up this receiver on Friday night and will be tweaking into the wee hours of the night and morning if i have to. so I will see for myself how it goes and what all this lip-synch talk is about. I went to CC yesterday to look at it and it was very nice and loved the blue light on it. hehe. cant wait to get it.

dropzone7

10-07-07, 08:13 PM

Yea for you, but what about the other 90% of people in this thread, oh yea, who cares, that dosent concern you right.

It's real easy, either buy something else or give it a shot and maybe you wont have a problem at all. I have not had any issues with it but everyone's setup is different. That's why it is always a good idea to buy from a place with a good return policy. I have no problem returning something if it does not work perfectly for me. I work too hard to spend that kind of money and not be satisfied. You are not going to know unless you try it. Or, you could try another receiver that you have read about and even if nobody else appears to have a problem, you might be the one that does end up having one. It's just a craps shoot really. All you can do is read and inform yourself and give things a try. Don't fault woots for being happy with the 705 and he certainly DOES care about the other owners because he has gone out of his way to help many people with basic setup questions and helpful suggestions. He has done his homework and now it is your turn. Nobody is trying to sell you anything here. Good luck with the 705 or whatever you end up buying. There are tons of great receivers out there to choose from.

oldmantook

10-07-07, 08:33 PM

dropzone7

10-07-07, 08:46 PM

Hello, all. I'm a new member and enthusiastic 705 owner with a new samsung 61" DLP and a PS3. I've looked through all 63 pages of posts and while I see several references to the "hidden and/or secret menu" which supposedly will enable upconverting SDTV to 720p, I can't find a "how to do it". You people run an excellent forum here and I've picked up quite a few set up tips. Just don't make me do something stupid like rummage through the closet for my favorite bong, buy a dime bag and really screw things up!

Thanks in advance...

I think you missed it just a page or two back...

I believe this is it though I have not tried myself.

1. Hold down the Aux button on the front panel of the receiver.
2. While holding down Aux, press Power.
3. The LED display should read "Resolution: Auto." Use the directional controls to the right of the display to change to 720p.

cmf

10-07-07, 09:04 PM

Yea for you, but what about the other 90% of people in this thread, oh yea, who cares, that dosent concern you right.

I think you have it backward. The 10% of 705 owners here who notice/have a lips-sync issue are the only ones posting about it; the other 90% (like me) don't bother to chime in on the topic because we have no problem to fix.

oldmantook

10-07-07, 09:18 PM

Thanks, dropzone7 :)....I'll give it a try after the yankees kick some indian a..!

Uptown193

10-07-07, 10:04 PM

Im glad to hear a few positive feed backs from my post rather then negative ones, but i would like to hear feedback from consumers who were having problems with theirs also. Anyone out there????

py97as

10-07-07, 10:07 PM

I just bought a 705 a few days ago and last night experience a problem with sound. The unit was on for about 4 to 5 hours and I started playing an Xbox 360 game with component hook ups and an optic cord for audio w/ HDMI out. At first sound was just fine, but after 30 min or so the sound would cut out for a second then start up again, this started happening with more frequency as the night went on. I'd say about 40 minutes after it initially started, the sound was out more than it was coming though. Has anyone experienced this before. I'm fairly ignorant with high tech A/V so it could be something I set up wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi celliobp. I've had a similar problem to this. I'm glad you posted as I wasn't sure if it was me doing something or the receiver but now you've posted I'll assume it's the receiver. In my case I have the computer linked up with an optical lead for playing mp3s. Symptoms are the same, after it's been on a while, audio is lost for a second a few times and as time goes on it cuts out for longer periods.

My thoughts on the issue are that is heat related in some way as the optical inputs are in the hottest corner of the receiver. In my case I can switch the optical lead to the Aux optical input on the front and that seems to solve the problem. This is not ideal though as I want to hook up video from the computer in the near future as well. That will be DVI > HDMI so optical will still be needed for audio. You could try a Digital coaxial cable instead if the 360 has that?? I haven't got around to this yet but I thinking of sorting out some sort of fan to try and keep the temps down a bit in that corner and see if that helps. My 705 has open air above it and although it does get hot I don't think it does so more than that described by others on this site and so I assume the heat shouldn't be an issue, in theory.

If anyone else can help with this issue please do:confused:.

Thanks.

Uptown193

10-07-07, 10:45 PM

It's real easy, either buy something else or give it a shot and maybe you wont have a problem at all. I have not had any issues with it but everyone's setup is different. That's why it is always a good idea to buy from a place with a good return policy. I have no problem returning something if it does not work perfectly for me. I work too hard to spend that kind of money and not be satisfied. You are not going to know unless you try it. Or, you could try another receiver that you have read about and even if nobody else appears to have a problem, you might be the one that does end up having one. It's just a craps shoot really. All you can do is read and inform yourself and give things a try. Don't fault woots for being happy with the 705 and he certainly DOES care about the other owners because he has gone out of his way to help many people with basic setup questions and helpful suggestions. He has done his homework and now it is your turn. Nobody is trying to sell you anything here. Good luck with the 705 or whatever you end up buying. There are tons of great receivers out there to choose from.

Hey Dropzone, why dont you quote and read the other part of my post.

Uptown193

10-07-07, 10:51 PM

I think you have it backward. The 10% of 705 owners here who notice/have a lips-sync issue are the only ones posting about it; the other 90% (like me) don't bother to chime in on the topic because we have no problem to fix.

dosent seem like that to me and i read a lot of posts with people who have those so called "lip" problems. Why do you think im asking about it. Im just a furture consumer who wants to make sure its fixable. So instead of sayin i got it backwards and all say something positive or dont say nuttin at all. Thank u.

I want and like this receiver so much i even took a pic at CC

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x255/uptown193/10-06-07_1744.jpg

Transcend

10-07-07, 10:57 PM

My thoughts on the issue are that is heat related in some way
Thanks.
Is there any way you guys having this problem can provide a temperature at which this occurs?

cmf

10-07-07, 11:06 PM

dosent seem like that to me and i read a lot of posts with people who have those so called "lip" problems. Why do you think im asking about it. Im just a furture consumer who wants to make sure its fixable. So instead of sayin i got it backwards and all say something positive or dont say nuttin at all. Thank u.

My deepest apologies. :rolleyes:

smgord

10-07-07, 11:23 PM

py97as

10-07-07, 11:46 PM

Is there any way you guys having this problem can provide a temperature at which this occurs?

If I can get the following to work I'll try and post some temperatures. I've not tried this as yet though.

"
Steps to get to the temperature info:

1) Turn on receiver
2) Press and hold "Display" button and then immediately press "Standby" button
3) Release both buttons (MAIN page of firmware info will be displayed) and then quickly press "Tone" button (if you wait too long, the display will revert back to what it was before the "Display" and "Standby" buttons were pressed). Temperature info will stay on until a function change is initiated.
"

rveras

10-07-07, 11:48 PM

Uptown193,

I almost didn't buy this receiver because of all the talk about heat & lip-sink issues. Then I realized that this is a public forum. 90% of the posts are going to be about problems which could make a small issue that only 1% of the owners experienced seem huge. Look at every equipment's owners thread and you will see what I'm talking about.

I bough the TX-SR705 and so far I'm very happy with with. I don't have any of the problems you see mention here. Like someone said before just make sure you buy it from a place that has a good return policy. Hope this help.

Transcend

10-08-07, 12:16 AM

If I can get the following to work I'll try and post some temperatures. I've not tried this as yet though.

"
Steps to get to the temperature info:

1) Turn on receiver
2) Press and hold "Display" button and then immediately press "Standby" button
3) Release both buttons (MAIN page of firmware info will be displayed) and then quickly press "Tone" button (if you wait too long, the display will revert back to what it was before the "Display" and "Standby" buttons were pressed). Temperature info will stay on until a function change is initiated.
"
Oh, I was thinking someone could just stick an ordinary thermometer near the unit. That is what I plan on doing to closely monitor the temp on the shelf and decide whether I need to add an external fan.

Transcend

10-08-07, 12:27 AM

What did you guys use to remove the residue left behind by the yellow sticker on the front panel. I peeled mine off and it left a "shadow" of the sticker. I don't want to rub to hard or use something that may mar or discolor the finish.

Thanks a bunch...
If mine didn't have this yellow sticker, should I assume it wasn't brand new?:confused:

EDIT: OK, I found a post in the 805 thread from someone who had a sticker on TOP for his first 805 unit, a sticker on the faceplate for his second unit, and then on his last one, no sticker at all. Perhaps the newer releases don't have a sticker.:confused: Did anyone else's NOT have a sticker ?

Transcend

10-08-07, 12:31 AM

Does it sound like my unit is defective?

I noticed no one else responded, though it seems easy enough to test. I don't have any speaker wire until tomorrow, so ATM, I got nothin', sorry. :o

py97as

10-08-07, 02:28 AM

Oh, I was thinking someone could just stick an ordinary thermometer near the unit. That is what I plan on doing to closely monitor the temp on the shelf and decide whether I need to add an external fan.

Yes it probably would be easier but I don't have one so I'll give this a go first!

Uptown193

10-08-07, 02:47 AM

woots

10-08-07, 06:13 AM

Yea for you, but what about the other 90% of people in this thread, oh yea, who cares, that dosent concern you right.

But you are probably right about new end users not tweaking it and being lazy about doing it. They expect it to work properly right out of the box. As for me I will be picking up this receiver on Friday night and will be tweaking into the wee hours of the night and morning if i have to. so I will see for myself how it goes and what all this lip-synch talk is about. I went to CC yesterday to look at it and it was very nice and loved the blue light on it. hehe. cant wait to get it.

I wouldn't have taken an hour writing this guide for people if I didn't care. It's frustrating me people are calling tech support, complaining and bashing this receiver without taking the time to use the options built into this receiver to correct the audio timing. Turning A/V Sync to 0ms and being mad its not in sync is not taking steps to fix the problem. Often 0ms isn't the solution and you will still be off. Not to mention every input source on your receiver needs to be corrected.

Read the Guide To Onkyo Lip Sync Correction (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11810012#post11810012)

rveras

10-08-07, 06:18 AM

Did anyone else's NOT have a sticker ?

No sticker for me either and glad it didn't.

djap2

10-08-07, 07:35 AM

I wouldn't have taken an hour writing this guide for people if I didn't care. It's frustrating me people are calling tech support, complaining and bashing this receiver without taking the time to use the options built into this receiver to correct the audio timing. Turning A/V Sync to 0ms and being mad its not in sync is not taking steps to fix the problem. Often 0ms isn't the solution and you will still be off. Not to mention every input source on your receiver needs to be corrected.

Read the Guide To Onkyo Lip Sync Correction (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11810012#post11810012)

I appreciated the advice and the 'article' (who knows, maybe published one day :) ).
But, I did try the suggestions and still have the lip sync issues with my DVR (haven't bothered with others yet as this is 90% viewing for me).
The problem is the lip sync difference is extreme from watching TV 'live' on the DVR and playing back the recordings on the DVR. Funny, but they are both 'cached' so I wouldn't think there should be a difference, but again, for me it is extreme and it is from the same source on the 705 so I can't imagine adjusting it each time I switch between 'live' tv and recorded shows.

After reading all the threads, it looks like the 2 second delay when switching stations, FF, etc... is common and due to the different modes the receiver is dealing with. I don't agree this should be acceptable, but just my opinion.

At least the lip sync between sources can be tweaked, but wish they gave you more the a few seconds to check it before shutting off, I'm slow I guess :)

I just upgraded my center to a Boston Acoustics VR14 to celebrate the new receiver (it is HUGE but sounds great). The Onkyo is sharper and brighter than my Yamaha but has power to spare, that is for sure!

Anyone know what best mode is best to use when watching DVR using a 5.1 (bi-amp) setup?

Thanks!

Al

dropzone7

10-08-07, 08:11 AM

Hey Dropzone, why dont you quote and read the other part of my post.

Because it was not there when I responded to your original post. That's why you have that little edit remark at the bottom, because you added it later. :rolleyes: No problem. Just sounded like you were jumping on woots when it was not called for.

dx31698

10-08-07, 09:43 AM

what is dialog normalization. it shows up on receiver everytime i turn on my receiver when watching cable tv. Sometimes it shows up -7, or -4, or -2. What is this and is there a way to change it manually

mrgribbles

10-08-07, 09:55 AM

Its encoding in Dolby tracks that adjust overall volume based on dialog level. look here for more info: http://www.dolby.com/assets/pdf/tech_library/42_DDFAQ.pdf

You can't turn it off, its in the coding.

Transcend

10-08-07, 10:18 AM

No sticker for me either and glad it didn't.
thanks for the confirmation, appreciate that!

Jamers

10-08-07, 10:39 AM

I would think you'd want dialog normalization set to on anyway. Doesn't this balance the volume from channel to channel?

mrgribbles

10-08-07, 11:04 AM

I would think you'd want dialog normalization set to on anyway. Doesn't this balance the volume from channel to channel?

How do you set it to ON?

caesar1

10-08-07, 11:14 AM

How do you set it to ON?

Diaglog Norm is informational -- it all happens in the decoder. It can not be changed by the consumer.

Here is an article that explains dialog norm in depth:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_2/feature-article-dialog-normalization-6-2000.html

mrgribbles

10-08-07, 11:37 AM

Diaglog Norm is informational -- it all happens in the decoder. It can not be changed by the consumer.

Here is an article that explains dialog norm in depth:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_2/feature-article-dialog-normalization-6-2000.html

A poster above implied that it could be set to ON after I stated what you just did. I was curious as to how he could do that if at all. If so, I'd like to know. Thanks for the link.

caesar1

10-08-07, 11:41 AM

A poster above implied that it could be set to ON after I stated what you just did. I was curious as to how he could do that if at all. If so, I'd like to know. Thanks for the link.

Its neither on or off. Its either in the digital stream or not. If in it, the display will reflect it and the DD decoder will act accordingly.

There is no consumer control over this.

JFI

10-08-07, 01:07 PM

I have the 705, and I have definitely had my share of lip-sync trouble from my cable box. Someone stated that there is no trouble because you can adjust the audio delay, but whoever said that is obviously not having the same kind of problem as the rest of us. The problem I have is *audio* lag, where the sound is running behind the picture, not video lag. The 705's lip sync adjustment is designed to correct video lag, with the idea that video signals are slower to process than the audio. However, since you can only adjust the audio delay down to zero milliseconds (not negative), the 705's adjustments can only do so much. One partial fix is with the "speaker distance" setttings, increasing the speaker distance so the receiver will play the audio signal earlier to compensate (and whoever first thought of that on this board is genius). But since the speaker distance settings only go up to 30 feet, there is a limit on how much you can do there.

Right now my Comcast HD box is component-only, not HDMI, so I am connected to the 705 by component and optical digital, with HDMI from the 705 to the TV. I haven't noticed an audio lag from my DVD player, which is HDMI all the way. 2 questions: (1) has anyone had better luck with a Comcast box with HDMI than with component video, and (2) what about running analog audio instead of a digital signal?

Obviously if I switch to analog audio I'll lose the DD soundtrack on HD shows, but that's not really a big deal to me in the room my 705 is in. It's more for casual TV watching, and my wife wouldn't notice the difference. But I don't want to bother with pulling everything out and swapping cables if it doesn't make a difference. Any thoughts?

mrgribbles

10-08-07, 01:21 PM

I experience A/V sync issues with Ted Turner's stations and every so often to a much lesser degree with others. This is with HDMI all the way and with component in & HDMI out of the AVR. I haven't noted a great deal of difference between the two connectivity methods. TNT stinks and no cable is going to help Ted out, as if they care.

I do not have sync issues with HD and SD DVD players, all of which are HDMI all the way.

If I recollect my Audio Delay settings are at 30 ms for all sources, set that way after tweaking, up & down.

Chuck_IV

10-08-07, 01:40 PM

I appreciated the advice and the 'article' (who knows, maybe published one day :) ).
But, I did try the suggestions and still have the lip sync issues with my DVR (haven't bothered with others yet as this is 90% viewing for me).
The problem is the lip sync difference is extreme from watching TV 'live' on the DVR and playing back the recordings on the DVR. Funny, but they are both 'cached' so I wouldn't think there should be a difference, but again, for me it is extreme and it is from the same source on the 705 so I can't imagine adjusting it each time I switch between 'live' tv and recorded shows.

After reading all the threads, it looks like the 2 second delay when switching stations, FF, etc... is common and due to the different modes the receiver is dealing with. I don't agree this should be acceptable, but just my opinion.

At least the lip sync between sources can be tweaked, but wish they gave you more the a few seconds to check it before shutting off, I'm slow I guess :)

I just upgraded my center to a Boston Acoustics VR14 to celebrate the new receiver (it is HUGE but sounds great). The Onkyo is sharper and brighter than my Yamaha but has power to spare, that is for sure!

Anyone know what best mode is best to use when watching DVR using a 5.1 (bi-amp) setup?

Thanks!

Al

How do you feed your audio from your DVR to the 705? Is it via HDMI or Optical/Coax? If you have a DVR that has HDMI out, but are using an optical/coax audio feed, try using the HDMI connection exclusively, for both audio and video. This approach works well for me and my Directv HR20. I don't see any delays.

hanwiz

10-08-07, 02:48 PM

Rolls-Royce

10-08-07, 02:49 PM

Hey guys, I am curious what most of you are using for your home theater listening levels with the 705. I finally hooked mine up yesterday with my first three Ascend speakers and a sub (still waiting on the surrounds) and I thought I had a problem until I realized that I needed to turn up the volume a good bit to get anything. Actually around -20 to -25 was a good loud but not painful volume for me. On another note, I fixed my HDMI problem by adding in a Monoprice 4-1 switcher which outputs nicely to my HD Fury device and then to the projector. Many thanks to member Rolls-Royce for that suggestion! Oh, how about this blue light I am supposed to be seeing? I get a blue light with the Pure Audio button but my volume knob has no light.

Edit: Ah, nevermind on the volume light. I found the answer on page 61 of the manual. A combination of presses of the "Dimmer" button. I guess I need to break down and actually read the manual.

Glad the switcher worked for you, too, DZ. :D I still have no idea if it works because of a better handshake between the switcher and Fury, or because the signal booster in that switch is providing the Fury some needed juice. It isn't a universal fix, however. One poster in the HDFury forum at CurtPalme.com hasn't had any luck using one between his Denon receiver and HDFury. Hard to say...:confused:

fadoodled

10-08-07, 02:54 PM

smgord

10-08-07, 02:56 PM

caesar1

10-08-07, 02:59 PM

I've noticed the dialog normalization as well, but I have not noticed it doing anything other than telling me where that level is. I'll get +4 for some TV channels and -7 for others. I have not noticed the 705 making any adjustments to the volume. I think it would be convenient if it did. Anyone have any thoughts about that? Is there a way to have the volume automatically adjust when the dialog norm jumps around?

The volume adjustment already happens internally at the DD decoder level, you won't notice it occuring. It does not effect the master volume display. The reason why some TV channels sound louder is for other technical reasons, outside of your control and the receiver's control.

However, forget TV just for this discussion -- you will probably notice that you basically play most modern DVDs at roughly the same master volume level. This is likely due to the dialog normalization and the decoder's internal volume adjustments.

garypen

10-08-07, 03:48 PM

If mine didn't have this yellow sticker, should I assume it wasn't brand new?:confused:

EDIT: OK, I found a post in the 805 thread from someone who had a sticker on TOP for his first 805 unit, a sticker on the faceplate for his second unit, and then on his last one, no sticker at all. Perhaps the newer releases don't have a sticker.:confused: Did anyone else's NOT have a sticker ?
I think mine was on the top. Not sure.

I sure wish all that silk-screened logo crap on the front of the 705 was on a sticker instead of silk-screened on the panel. I'd peel that crap off in a second.

joed32

10-08-07, 05:10 PM

I think mine was on the top. Not sure.

I sure wish all that silk-screened logo crap on the front of the 705 was on a sticker instead of solk-screened on the panel. I'd peel that crap off in a second.

It was on mine, I just peeled it off.

djap2

10-08-07, 05:33 PM

Hi, and thanks for the suggestion.
I have the Motorola 34xx DVR plugged into the SR705 via HDMI only.
DVD plugged in via HDMI only
Replay TV plugged in video via Component and audio via Optical.

So all sources have only one path to receiver...

BTW, I just upgraded my center channel to a Boston Acoustics VR14 THX Center Channel. After, calibration, the receiver did a FANTASTIC job in using the VR14's range to get the most of ouf it. The sound is amazing - I credit the VR14 and the Onkyo.
But, the center is bi-amp capable, I'm hoping the Onkyo is OK with me using two speaker cables from the reciever's center channels posts to the VR14.

I am going to play back some more DVR content and try a DVD again - with all the tweaking, I'm not sure where I'm at.

The calibration did set my sub way to low for my liking (I like a lot of punch). Anyone had this problem? I think I can just set the sub to 0db and that should take care of it?

I'm warming up to this receiver slowly - figuring 2 second delay is possible to deal with but must solve sync issue.

Al

slivel

10-08-07, 06:42 PM

fubdap

10-08-07, 07:08 PM

Hi All,

My main speakers have only two terminals at the back (one positive and one nagative). Is it possible to bi-amp these speaker on the 705. If so, please tell my how. Thanks.

MegaHurtz83

10-08-07, 07:53 PM

Can anybody tell me if I will be able to run HDMI audio from a Toshiba HD-A30 and a PS3 to the 705? Will that setup enable me to take advantage of the best audio that the 705 has to offer?

scarecrow420

10-08-07, 11:18 PM

Sorry to be annoying and re-post, but I'm really hoping that someone will be able to test out their unit for the issue below and provide some feedback ... if I'm going to exchange the unit, I need to do it soon. Thanks in advance - I've already received some really great advice in this thread and others. No worries, if no answer is forthcoming, there won't be another post on this topic!

When I turn the 705 on for the first time of the day, if I select TUNER, I get nothing but hiss. I have to switch to a different input and then back to TUNER to get the audio.

This does not happen if I turn it off and then turn it back on shortly after, and it is a repeatable event. I noticed by accident yesterday, and then this morning, turned it on, switched to TUNER before the current input could kick in, and got the same result.

Does it sound like my unit is defective?I tested this out for you with my iniot. Thismorning, i switched it on (had been off overnight) using the remote, and hit the TUNER button on the remote immediately, and the radio station came on fine first go. So it does sound like there may be some issue with yours

Other things to try (although they are a long shot)...

does it happen when using the remote AND when using the buttons on the front of the receiver? (one expects it would)
Have you tried messing with the aerial? (trying a different one, jiggling/replugging it in etc).
Does it happen for AM and FM or only one or the other?
What if you have it already on TUNER input from the night before and simply fire it up the next morning, without switching to tuner input as well... does it still happen?

rveras

10-09-07, 12:19 AM

Hi All,

My main speakers have only two terminals at the back (one positive and one nagative). Is it possible to bi-amp these speaker on the 705. If so, please tell my how. Thanks.

Instruction Manual page 24.

hanwiz

10-09-07, 01:04 AM

I got the same issue one time though I'm not a heavy radio user. Intersesting thing is that I can still listen to radio in pure direct mode. I might test the tuner using your method tonight.

What do you mean by "pure direct mode"?

Ok, I tested this on my 705. I got the same hiss noise from Tuner except in
Pure or Direct listening mode. I guess it's normal and we may give the receiver some time to be ready for other sound mode or you can select pure/direct audio mode.

appdevman

10-09-07, 03:46 AM

scarecrow420

10-09-07, 06:08 AM

I am interested in purchasing the 705 and use it exclusively as a Pre-Amp, (I'm not impressed with Outlaw);

1. Can anyone provide feedback that uses external power amps with this thing?

2. Also, can anyone comment on a hunch of mine: if you aren't using the on-board amplification, you won't be creating resistance and insane heat, so I'm guessing that the heat the unit creates will probably be minimal, very tolerable.

3. If you play a BlueRay disk with 7.1 Linear PCM, and have it connected via HDMI, and use the unit's pre-outs to external amps, is this as intended, or bogus? (are you stepping backwards by using external amps at this point, because the outputs are simple RCA connectors)

Thanks everyone!
appdevman
1. I do not use external amps so cannot comment from experience, however:

2. The HDMI, video processing and audio processing parts of the AVR do apparently create a decent amount of heat. While one would assume without using the amplification side of things, the temperaturs shoudl still be significantly lower, it may not be "minimal". I dont think it would be a point of concern though

3. The external amps come into play after all the signal processing has been done, and the sound is now an analogue signal. Its just that rather than being amped up internally, then going down speaker wire to the speakers, the line level analogue signal is sent to the external power amps to do the amplification, so you will not "lose" anything by using the preamp outputs

have you considered the integra range though? basically pre/pro versions of these onkyos

mrgribbles

10-09-07, 07:15 AM

You will develop amplifier heat even if using the pre-outs exclusively. There are a number of differing variations in audio output amplifiers, some are less efficient - more heat producing - but may have less noise. I'm not sure what type of amps are in the 705 but even with no load attached, read speakers, the amps will send part of the signal to ground, generating heat. This has been noticed in the 805 thread where temperature increases even when no speakers are attached. Any heat generated by this should be less than if you have speakers connected but it will never be zero.

BTW, resistance or impedance is not created in the circuit, its there. What is created is amperage from the amplifiers, the amount is dependent on volume and circuit resistance/impedance. The higher the impedance the lower the current.

You may be able to do some workarounds like use the downstream amplifiers for volume/level control and set the 705 to minimal volume levels.

Boogie7910

10-09-07, 08:06 AM

Can someone tell me how to set up the crossover frequency. Right now I have all my speakers set to 80hz THX, and the sub at 120hz. Not sure what I'm doing here.

jonabbey

10-09-07, 08:48 AM

Can anybody tell me if I will be able to run HDMI audio from a Toshiba HD-A30 and a PS3 to the 705? Will that setup enable me to take advantage of the best audio that the 705 has to offer?

Yes, that will work perfectly. The PS3 will send up to 7.1 channels of uncompressed Linear PCM through the 705, for sure. I don't have any experience with the HD-A30, but the 705 can handle high resolution audio as good any AV receiver on the market, so it will be able to handle anything the HD-A30 can throw at it.

The 705 supports up to three HDMI inputs, so you can hook up your PS3, your HD-A30, and have one full bandwidth HDMI port left over for a set top box, or what-have-you.

warlord260

10-09-07, 09:22 AM

Can someone tell me how to set up the crossover frequency. Right now I have all my speakers set to 80hz THX, and the sub at 120hz. Not sure what I'm doing here.

the sub would be lfe channel, and it is adjustable. set mine at 80hz. at 120hz bass would be localized. go into speaker set-up you will find it in there.

warlord260

10-09-07, 09:26 AM

i see a lot of posts about heat with 705. has anyone really had issues with heat on the 705? i havent seen any, just a lot of concern.i know the 805,605 has had issues, but 705?

fubdap

10-09-07, 09:32 AM

Instruction Manual page 24.

Thanks Rveras. The instrution on page 24 of the manual is for speakers with 4 posts. My speakers have only 2 posts. So I don't know if you can bi-amp that.

Bluecrow

10-09-07, 09:43 AM

You cannot bi-amp a speaker if it has only two post!!!!!!

fubdap

10-09-07, 09:48 AM

You cannot bi-amp a speaker if it has only two post!!!!!!

Thanks for that information.

Boogie7910

10-09-07, 11:15 AM

the sub would be lfe channel, and it is adjustable. set mine at 80hz. at 120hz bass would be localized. go into speaker set-up you will find it in there.

so everything at 80hz? anyone else recommend this?

my setup is athena fronts, center, surround, SVS PB10 NSD.

arbitrage000

10-09-07, 11:21 AM

so everything at 80hz? anyone else recommend this?

my setup is athena fronts, center, surround, SVS PB10 NSD.

Did you run the Audessy setup mic? If you know what your doing then you can do all the settings yourself or first run Audessy and then tweak. But I think others use a sound meter to do this. For me I just ran Audessy, sat back and forgot about it:) I know nothing about crossovers, dBs etc...so until I do, I think the system sounds great!!

Jamers

10-09-07, 11:26 AM

My Polk Audio Speakers have 4 posts on each speakers (2 pos and 2 neg). Does that mean I can and should bi-amp them? How do I do this? I'm not sure I know what it means to bi-amp a speaker.

fubdap

10-09-07, 11:41 AM

My Polk Audio Speakers have 4 posts on each speakers (2 pos and 2 neg). Does that mean I can and should bi-amp them? How do I do this? I'm not sure I know what it means to bi-amp a speaker.

See page 24 of the 705 Manual for instruction and examples.

Jeremy Anderson

10-09-07, 11:49 AM

so everything at 80hz? anyone else recommend this?

my setup is athena fronts, center, surround, SVS PB10 NSD.

Despite the fact that 120Hz is localizable, if you want to reproduce the whole soundtrack, you should set LFE to 120Hz. This only affects bass in the LFE channel, not redirected bass from the other channels (which is what you're setting with the other crossover settings). The LFE channel is the ".1" in 5.1 because it is range-limited to 1/10th of the 20Hz-20kHz frequency range; it is already limited such that it can not extend higher than 120Hz. However, THX uses 80Hz for this since most mixes do not use much sound over 80Hz.

Note: The LFE crossover is NOT adjusted by Audyssey. Honestly, you probably aren't going to hear a difference between 80 and 120Hz on the LFE crossover, so this is really a picky thing. I use 120.

Boogie7910

10-09-07, 12:39 PM

Uptown193

10-09-07, 01:49 PM

Can someone tell me the WOW factor between DTS 5.1 and say Dolby True HD and DTS HD 5.1 or 6.1???
Will my reaction be like "omg that sounds awesome" or will I be like "that not bad". Is there a WOW factor??? Thanks...

djap2

10-09-07, 01:52 PM

thanks

ya I did the audessy settings and it set all my speakers to full band, it put double bass option on, and in the level settings it put -15db to my sub.

i wasn't really liking the sound as much so i switched it back to how i had it

I did the setup a few times and it set all the speakers much to low. Even at -20b of volume, it really wasn't that 'loud'. I moved them all up 3db, except the sub, that I increased about 50% to -7db as it was very hard to 'feel' the bass with the -15db setting... I'm still tweaking and I did set the sub to 0db for fun - it wasn't much fun after about 5 minutes of overpowering bass :)

ctchen1

10-09-07, 03:39 PM

dropzone7

10-09-07, 03:45 PM

Can anyone tell me if I should buy the 705 from CC(pickup locally) for $650 or from Vann for $610.
I am leaning toward getting it from CC, if I have problem with it, I can at least return it locally. Thanks.

I don't think you would have a problem returning it to either place but CC would certainly be much less hassle. It all depends on how instant you want your gratification to be. :D

Jeremy Anderson

10-09-07, 04:02 PM

thanks

ya I did the audessy settings and it set all my speakers to full band, it put double bass option on, and in the level settings it put -15db to my sub.

i wasn't really liking the sound as much so i switched it back to how i had it
The speaker detection problem is a known issue on Onkyos, as confirmed by Audyssey. Onkyo set the threshold for full band too high, so if your speaker reproduces anything below about 60Hz with decent energy, it's going to call it full band. My Polk RTi28 bookshelf speakers are detected as full band, which is ludicrous.

Look up your speaker's frequency range to find its lowest -3dB response point and add about 20Hz to that to give it a little room to transition from speaker to sub. That should get you near the optimal crossover point for each speaker.

As for the -15dB subwoofer level, there are several things to keep in mind:
1) It's possible that you have a nasty room-induced peak outside of Audyssey's ability to tame that could be causing the sub level to be set abnormally low. You might run some frequency sweeps with a SPL meter to see if your room is creating an insanely large peak. If this is the case, you might need to do some room treatment to tame it before recalibrating. No calibration scheme is magic - you still have to take the time to properly set your room up.
2) You might try toying with the placement of your subwoofer, since placing it too close to room boundaries can exacerbate peaks. For instance, make sure you keep your sub at least 3-5 inches from any wall. The common wisdom is to corner load your sub, since that is usually the best placement to prevent cancellation, etc. However, every room is different, and moving a sub even 6 inches can make a major difference at the seats. One method people use is to put the sub in their main seat, play bass-heavy material, then crawl around on the floor until they find a spot that sounds best, then put the sub there.
3) When running the Audyssey setup, make sure you don't place the mic too close to your back wall. If your seat placement is such that the mic will be within 12-18" of the wall, place the mic forward a bit in the seat. Room boundaries reinforce bass, so the setting close to the wall may be way lower than what is proper slightly further into the room.
4) They're like $18, so get a tripod for the mic. We can't stress this enough - if you're not using a tripod, you're not giving Audyssey much to work with. Setting the mic in the seat itself or holding it creates massive problems with the calibration, as the seat itself can absorb reflect sound and holding the mic can create low frequency noise that will throw the sub calibration off.
5) If you're using a tripod, make sure the mic is placed slightly higher than the headrest behind it, even if that puts it above normal ear level. Headrests on chairs create their own frequency issues.
6) If it is going all the way down to its lowest point on the sub level, try reducing the gain control on the sub a bit and rerunning Audyssey. Running the gain too high on the sub's amp can create unwanted noise, and it doesn't give you much room for tweaking. It can also cause issues with subwoofers that turn on automatically with signal, since the signal gain from the sub pre-out may be too low to trigger the auto-on at extremely low settings.

But most of all, remember this: The sound you end up with is up to personal preference. Systems like this strive to reach a known reference for response, which is sometimes not possible in every room or sometimes doesn't sound as good to listeners used to a different sound. You should always tweak to preference. However, I do recommend careful setup and speaker placement to give you the best starting point.

dropzone7

10-09-07, 04:26 PM

Great post Jeremy! Very good information for all.

RandyHF

10-09-07, 04:40 PM

In case anyone has the same issue I had with the 'switched" outlet on the back not being switched, Onkyo tech support gave this answer:

Under the hardware setup in the menu of the receiver go down to HDMI press enter and disable the control function. This should resolve the issue.

Thank you,

Eric F.

For whatever reason, that worked, and the outlet is now switching properly. :)

Rich Z

10-09-07, 05:02 PM

johni

10-09-07, 05:06 PM

fubdap

10-09-07, 05:14 PM

The speaker detection problem is a known issue on Onkyos, as confirmed by Audyssey. Onkyo set the threshold for full band too high, so if your speaker reproduces anything below about 60Hz with decent energy, it's going to call it full band. My Polk RTi28 bookshelf speakers are detected as full band, which is ludicrous.

Look up your speaker's frequency range to find its lowest -3dB response point and add about 20Hz to that to give it a little room to transition from speaker to sub. That should get you near the optimal crossover point for each speaker.

As for the -15dB subwoofer level, there are several things to keep in mind:
1) It's possible that you have a nasty room-induced peak outside of Audyssey's ability to tame that could be causing the sub level to be set abnormally low. You might run some frequency sweeps with a SPL meter to see if your room is creating an insanely large peak. If this is the case, you might need to do some room treatment to tame it before recalibrating. No calibration scheme is magic - you still have to take the time to properly set your room up.
2) You might try toying with the placement of your subwoofer, since placing it too close to room boundaries can exacerbate peaks. For instance, make sure you keep your sub at least 3-5 inches from any wall. The common wisdom is to corner load your sub, since that is usually the best placement to prevent cancellation, etc. However, every room is different, and moving a sub even 6 inches can make a major difference at the seats. One method people use is to put the sub in their main seat, play bass-heavy material, then crawl around on the floor until they find a spot that sounds best, then put the sub there.
3) When running the Audyssey setup, make sure you don't place the mic too close to your back wall. If your seat placement is such that the mic will be within 12-18" of the wall, place the mic forward a bit in the seat. Room boundaries reinforce bass, so the setting close to the wall may be way lower than what is proper slightly further into the room.
4) They're like $18, so get a tripod for the mic. We can't stress this enough - if you're not using a tripod, you're not giving Audyssey much to work with. Setting the mic in the seat itself or holding it creates massive problems with the calibration, as the seat itself can absorb reflect sound and holding the mic can create low frequency noise that will throw the sub calibration off.
5) If you're using a tripod, make sure the mic is placed slightly higher than the headrest behind it, even if that puts it above normal ear level. Headrests on chairs create their own frequency issues.
6) If it is going all the way down to its lowest point on the sub level, try reducing the gain control on the sub a bit and rerunning Audyssey. Running the gain too high on the sub's amp can create unwanted noise, and it doesn't give you much room for tweaking. It can also cause issues with subwoofers that turn on automatically with signal, since the signal gain from the sub pre-out may be too low to trigger the auto-on at extremely low settings.

But most of all, remember this: The sound you end up with is up to personal preference. Systems like this strive to reach a known reference for response, which is sometimes not possible in every room or sometimes doesn't sound as good to listeners used to a different sound. You should always tweak to preference. However, I do recommend careful setup and speaker placement to give you the best starting point.

Nice Job.

What is your opinion on the position of the mic. On the manual (page 55) it says "make user microphone is horizontal". I have also read somewhere that the mic should be pointing to the ceiling.
Thanks.

mustvid

10-09-07, 05:15 PM

What is the difference between the 705 and the Yamy RX V661? I know it cost more but what would I gain by buying the 705 over teh RX V661?

Jeremy Anderson

10-09-07, 05:48 PM

Nice Job.

What is your opinion on the position of the mic. On the manual (page 55) it says "make user microphone is horizontal". I have also read somewhere that the mic should be pointing to the ceiling.
Thanks.

See http://www.audyssey.com/faq/index.html#micposition

No question about which way to point the mic.

ctchen1

10-09-07, 05:55 PM

Just pulled the trigger on one after reading through most of this thread. Here's the best price I could find anywhere....

http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120170092503

Hmm... interesting. So this site is blocking "e b a y . c o m " from posted URLs?

I don't think you can return to ebay if you have problem with it.
I just have issue trust ebay when it comes to expensive electronics.

Jeremy Anderson

10-09-07, 06:04 PM

I received my 705 yesterday and have a couple of questions re sub woofer.

Is it normal to hear crackling from the powered sub with a high level input? When I first ran Audyssey it did not detect my sub because I had the sub on the wrong connection. So, after putting sub cable into proper connection, I went into speaker setup and manually set sub to yes. When I went to set sub level calibration the sub would crackle. The crackling went away only after setting the level below -7. Do I have a bad sub?

Second, how can I use speaker wire for powered sub? Is there a connector that will take the + & - from speaker wires and convert to RCA connection? My house has speaker wires in walls behind drywall. I'd like to use the speaker wire to connect the powered sub but it looks like the only way to connect powered sub is with RCA connection on the 705.

You might have an issue with the gain being too high on your sub and your amp clipping. Try backing down the gain a bit and re-running the calibration until you get the subwoofer trim closer to 0. This keeps the voltage of the pre-out nearer to where it's supposed to be. If that doesn't help with the crackling, it could be an issue with the subwoofer output on the receiver... but I would lean toward the former as being far more likely.

Of course, there's always the possibility that your sub amp is on its way out. What sub do you have? Maybe I can give a little more specific info if I know the make/model.

As far as running the line-level feed through speaker-level wiring: Since the speaker wire is likely not shielded as well, you may end up with noise or humming from electrical interference. Were it me, I would buy new RCA wallplates and tie a RCA cable to the existing wires to drag it through the wall. However, you could always buy solderable RCA male connectors from Radio Shack and hook wire up to try it.

Artslinger

10-09-07, 07:18 PM

Nice Job.

What is your opinion on the position of the mic. On the manual (page 55) it says "make user microphone is horizontal". I have also read somewhere that the mic should be pointing to the ceiling.
Thanks.

Looking at the mic if it is horizontal it will be pointing up.

Am I right?

garypen

10-09-07, 07:38 PM

Looking at the mic if it is horizontal it will be pointing up.

Am I right?

Yes. It will be pointing up. It also has a screw hole on the bottom that fits a standard tripod mount. I used a tripod in its lowest position set in the prime seating postion of the couch. That way, the mic was at ear level.

OTOH, after running Audessey, and hating it, I disabled its EQ settings, changed various speaker levels, and changed the high-pass filter points to ones better suited to my speakers.

I also changed the speaker distance settings to reduce sync delay. But, that's probably not Audessey's fault.

garypen

10-09-07, 07:40 PM

You might have an issue with the gain being too high on your sub and your amp clipping. Try backing down the gain a bit and re-running the calibration until you get the subwoofer trim closer to 0. This keeps the voltage of the pre-out nearer to where it's supposed to be. If that doesn't help with the crackling, it could be an issue with the subwoofer output on the receiver... but I would lean toward the former as being far more likely.

Of course, there's always the possibility that your sub amp is on its way out. What sub do you have? Maybe I can give a little more specific info if I know the make/model.

As far as running the line-level feed through speaker-level wiring: Since the speaker wire is likely not shielded as well, you may end up with noise or humming from electrical interference. Were it me, I would buy new RCA wallplates and tie a RCA cable to the existing wires to drag it through the wall. However, you could always buy solderable RCA male connectors from Radio Shack and hook wire up to try it.

You may have the volume level on the sub amp itself set too high. Also, you may have a blown sub, as you suspect, or just one that is too small or underpowered.

phisch

10-09-07, 08:34 PM

Just pulled the trigger on one after reading through most of this thread. Here's the best price I could find anywhere....

http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...m=120170092503

Ubid.com has the Onkyo TXSR705 on sale, brand new, w/full manufacturer warranty for cheaper than this Ebay vendor (and cheaper shipping too). Plus Ubid is listed as an authorized dealer on the Onkyo website. I've bought several receivers from them in the past and the service was very good.

aafflyer

10-09-07, 10:56 PM

I don't think you would have a problem returning it to either place but CC would certainly be much less hassle. It all depends on how instant you want your gratification to be. :D

Don't forget one has sales tax and the other doesn't. If you do shop at CC and you are a AAA member, you can get a coupon from AAA for 10% off. Also, if you sign up for the CC credit card, you will get 5% back in terms of a reward certificate good towards a future purchase. It takes 90 days for the reward to be redeemable in order to make sure the return period has passed.

My 705 arrives tomorrow :)

smgord

10-09-07, 11:21 PM

I tested this out for you with my iniot. Thismorning, i switched it on (had been off overnight) using the remote, and hit the TUNER button on the remote immediately, and the radio station came on fine first go. So it does sound like there may be some issue with yours

Other things to try (although they are a long shot)...

does it happen when using the remote AND when using the buttons on the front of the receiver? (one expects it would)
Have you tried messing with the aerial? (trying a different one, jiggling/replugging it in etc).
Does it happen for AM and FM or only one or the other?
What if you have it already on TUNER input from the night before and simply fire it up the next morning, without switching to tuner input as well... does it still happen?

Thanks for testing it out. I can't answer the above questions, first because I haven't experimented to that extent, and second because it's only happened after being off for several hours, so I could only try these once or twice a day. It didn't happen today though. I will give your suggestions a try before I exchange ...

Uptown193

10-09-07, 11:28 PM

3 nights and 2 days left for me.

Jamers

10-09-07, 11:32 PM

There are a couple options in the Secret Menu I don't understand. I can set it to VFMT 656 8bit or VFMT 601 24 bit. What do these settings do? Also, the resolution can be set on 720p or Auto. Setting it to 720p seems to cause widescreen 480p components sources to only display in full rather than wide. This has been reported by others as well. So I set it to Auto and the correct aspect ratio is displayed. However my 480p games on my XBOX (not 360) all have jitter when they didn't before. I plan to connect the XBOX back up directly to the TV via component due to this annoying jitter issue. Any solutions?

By the way, what does the 705 do exactly when set to auto?

ctchen1

10-10-07, 12:50 AM

An ebay Power Seller (99.8% positive feedback) is selling the 705 just under $600 with free shipping and 3 years service plan. Is this a good deal? can you trust an power seller?

cmf

10-10-07, 12:51 AM

mosman22

10-10-07, 01:06 AM

ctchen1

10-10-07, 01:06 AM

Can someone tell me if 705 can support 7.1 in one room and 2 more stereo speakers at another room. If not, which receiver should I get to do this job.
Thanks in advance.

Jeremy Anderson

10-10-07, 01:48 AM

Uptown193

10-10-07, 02:51 AM

Transcend

10-10-07, 05:49 AM

I was wondering if people could post their speaker setups. I have had the 705 for over a month and have not been impressed with the audio quality.
What are you comparing it to, that was better (i.e., what did you have before)? :confused:

This is my first post since receiving my 705, and I'm still working on the settings.
My firmware info is: Main1.02/07712B

This is my first receiver (ever) with my first set of speakers (ever). And I'm a girl :o...

I've been struggling the past few days figuring out by myself how to strip speaker wire, crimp banana plugs, etc. Yet, in spite of my complete lack of prior knowledge, all speakers registered in their correct place the first time I ran Audessey, and all video inputs played perfectly with their perspective audio streams. I haven't found any lip synch problems (my husband confirmed :cool:).

I have nothing to compare with the audio/video results, but it all sounds good, so far, to me.

I do have a question about speaker buzz/hum. I have a brand new KEF 3005 speaker set. When no input is selected on the receiver and the volume is turned up, I get a steady, uniform speaker hum on all speakers. The buzz is NOT affected by shaking the speaker wires. The buzz disappears when the volume is turned down very low.

With an active input, I notice the same thing on the surround speakers when only the front ones are active (at normal listening levels, I have to place my ear next to the surround L/R speakers to hear it).

Is this normal? I read the speaker buzz faq and many other articles and it seems everything I read addresses all buzz/hum as a problem.:eek:

Transcend

10-10-07, 06:03 AM

I think mine was on the top. Not sure.

I sure wish all that silk-screened logo crap on the front of the 705 was on a sticker instead of silk-screened on the panel. I'd peel that crap off in a second.

Mine looked just like this out of the box - no sticker, minimal labels.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hVsu6c2PL._SS400_.jpg

djap2

10-10-07, 07:25 AM

I was wondering if people could post their speaker setups. I have had the 705 for over a month and have not been impressed with the audio quality. I am on my third speaker setup going through boston acoustics and polks and still have not been impressed. How are other people finding the audio quality. I am seriously considering going back to CC and pleading with thenm to let me upgrade to the 805. Anyone done a comparision between the two?

I'm using the following speakers:

Fronts : Boston Acoustics VR40s (bi-amped)
Center: Boston Acoustics VR14
Rears: Boston Acoustics VRS (dipolar, but right up against the back wall due to space issues)
Subwoofer: SVS PB12-ISD w/upgraded NSD Driver (nice upgrade)

I'm using MONSTER CABLE Z2 Reference Audiophile Speaker Cable but only because I got it for really cheap (otherwise, I would have gone with Home Depot special)... I don't use banana connectors, just straight into speakers and Onkyo receiver.

I upgraded amp from Yamaha 992 (with dedicated Luxman AMP) and from a VR10 Center at the same time, so it is hard to say if amp is better or speaker upgrade is better. The Onkyo is much sharper, but as others have mentioned, it is all in the tweaking (Audeyssey can help or hurt), so I was not expecting to have to pay this much attention to the settings (just plugged in the Yamaha and loved it, but it didn't have all the new technologies).

I'm looking at a Yamaha 661 or 1700 now to see if I should switch, but I have to say, this forum has been a big help in getting it close.

I played Disney Pixar Cars in High Def (from Comcast DVR) and I couldn't believe the sound I was hearing (kids had a ball sitting on sub) with things like the engine roar and exhaust...little things like that were nice...but I don't know if that was the amp or the VR14 which is a beast in itself...

I have the Oppo 981 DVD Player and have not had issues. I have noticed if you turn the TV off, you need to wait about 30 seconds for the audio to come back on for the receiver...maybe negotiating sync again...

Jetli70

10-10-07, 08:30 AM

Jetli70

10-10-07, 08:38 AM

What are you comparing it to, that was better (i.e., what did you have before)? :confused:

This is my first post since receiving my 705, and I'm still working on the settings.
My firmware info is: Main1.02/07712B

This is my first receiver (ever) with my first set of speakers (ever). And I'm a girl :o...

I've been struggling the past few days figuring out by myself how to strip speaker wire, crimp banana plugs, etc. Yet, in spite of my complete lack of prior knowledge, all speakers registered in their correct place the first time I ran Audessey, and all video inputs played perfectly with their perspective audio streams. I haven't found any lip synch problems (my husband confirmed :cool:).

I have nothing to compare with the audio/video results, but it all sounds good, so far, to me.

I do have a question about speaker buzz/hum. I have a brand new KEF 3005 speaker set. When no input is selected on the receiver and the volume is turned up, I get a steady, uniform speaker hum on all speakers. The buzz is NOT affected by shaking the speaker wires. The buzz disappears when the volume is turned down very low.

With an active input, I notice the same thing on the surround speakers when only the front ones are active (at normal listening levels, I have to place my ear next to the surround L/R speakers to hear it).

Is this normal? I read the speaker buzz faq and many other articles and it seems everything I read addresses all buzz/hum as a problem.:eek:

Your receiver may share the same electrical circuit with other household items like fluorescent light, fan, fridge (connect to other outlet or turn off the light).
Check your subwoofer cable (a cheap subwoofer cable will be a problem). Reduce the gain on your subwoofer.
A ground loop is a possibility.
Do not bundle audio signal cable with power cable.
Go to Bestbuy or Circuit City and a buy a power conditioner.
Good luck

Artslinger

10-10-07, 08:58 AM

warlord260

10-10-07, 09:26 AM

I was wondering if people could post their speaker setups. I have had the 705 for over a month and have not been impressed with the audio quality. I am on my third speaker setup going through boston acoustics and polks and still have not been impressed. How are other people finding the audio quality. I am seriously considering going back to CC and pleading with thenm to let me upgrade to the 805. Anyone done a comparision between the two?

i wouldnt think there would be much difference in sound quality between the 705+the 805. the 805 has more power, and thx ultra 2 which gives you more sound fields. 3 speaker set-up what a pain. did you rerun audessy every time you move a speaker, changed speakers? did you dial it in with spl meter to make every thing perfect? i cant imagine getting any receiver that would sound much better, at what ever price. you could spend more money, but would the sound qality change that much? did you have 30 day return on purchase, and if you did why wait more than 30 days? the 705 should sound great with any quality set of speakers. i know my sony didnt sound as good as 705, but it was 9 yrs. old- dont like the flavored sound fields. honestly never heard anyone say 705 didnt sound good, and on these forums i think i was first to get 705. remember the 805 is a huge receiver, that some just dont have the room for, without major mod. to existing stands, cabinets. if jumping to 805 make sure you have plenty of room and remember a 50 lb. receivier needs to have a lot of air to breathe.

mosman22

10-10-07, 10:46 AM

i wouldnt think there would be much difference in sound quality between the 705+the 805. the 805 has more power, and thx ultra 2 which gives you more sound fields. 3 speaker set-up what a pain. did you rerun audessy every time you move a speaker, changed speakers? did you dial it in with spl meter to make every thing perfect? i cant imagine getting any receiver that would sound much better, at what ever price. you could spend more money, but would the sound qality change that much? did you have 30 day return on purchase, and if you did why wait more than 30 days? the 705 should sound great with any quality set of speakers. i know my sony didnt sound as good as 705, but it was 9 yrs. old- dont like the flavored sound fields. honestly never heard anyone say 705 didnt sound good, and on these forums i think i was first to get 705. remember the 805 is a huge receiver, that some just dont have the room for, without major mod. to existing stands, cabinets. if jumping to 805 make sure you have plenty of room and remember a 50 lb. receivier needs to have a lot of air to breathe.

Yea i reran the audessey every time. I have found i got strange results with the audessey. It always puts my rear speakers at like -8 or -10, less then the fronts, it also puts the sub at -14.

I was thinking the 805 might be better because it has burr brown dac's and almost half the total harmonic distortion. I didn't return the 705 within the 30 days because by the time i got all the compents for my setup it was already 3 weeks after i bought the reciever, then when it didn't sound like i wanted i have kept trying to change the speakers. Maube i am crazy but when i hear the yamaha's or higher end recievers they seem to have a tighter cleaner sound.

I am worrid about the 805 over heating b/c i have to put the reciever in a closed space. My problem with changing the speakers is i have the rears built in. I started with boston acoustics and have already had them ripped out and replaced with the polk rc65i. I now have the csi 3 center and csi 4 for my l/c/r. I would get a nicer l/c/r but they wouldn't match up with my rears

Jeremy Anderson

10-10-07, 10:59 AM

Tonight I noticed that the 705 does something I find highly annoying. My DVD player (an Oppo 981) is connected via HDMI in to the 705, as is my TV (out). What I noticed was that I could turn on the Oppo and the 705, but they wouldn't execute a valid HDMI handshake until I *also* turned on the TV. :mad:

Now why is that? The manual mentions this, but doesn't say why or how to make it so I can listen to CDs via my DVD player without first turning on the TV (turning the TV off after the handshake occurs has no effect on the 705's ability to communicate with the Oppo).

Anybody notice this and/or have a way around it that doesn't involve extra cabling? :confused:

Gave this some thought last night, and the only thing I can think of that you might try is going to HARDWARE in the menu, then HDMI, and try changing the setting for audio pass-through to your TV to see if that makes a difference. Other than that, I don't know of a way around it unless there's one in the Oppo. I did a quick review of the Oppo manual and didn't see anything that would help though.

Might be something you have to live with.

mosman22

10-10-07, 11:02 AM

I guess my biggest problem is during speech, esp. on blu-rays when the volume is above -15 it just starts to sound distoted, not tight and clean. i don't think any equipment is defective since my wife can't notice it. I on the other hand can and it is driving me crazy. I have run audessey but always get strange results, look above.

Do you guys think getting better speaker wire would help?

As i posted above my setup is as follows:

l/r- polk rti 4( i started with the ba 67's and then the polk monitor 30's)

c- polk csi 3)( started with ba crc, sounded horrible, then the polk cs 2 still heard distortion during speach on blu-ray)

rears- polk rci65'( started with ba's, i forget the model)

sub- ba x2( been very happy with it)

Would it sound bad if i got Focal's for the l/c/r, since it wouldn't match with the rears? Is it worth spending 800-1000 on my front speakers, do you think i would notice a big difference?

warlord260

10-10-07, 11:07 AM

Jeremy Anderson

10-10-07, 11:35 AM

Yea i reran the audessey every time. I have found i got strange results with the audessey. It always puts my rear speakers at like -8 or -10, less then the fronts, it also puts the sub at -14.

I was thinking the 805 might be better because it has burr brown dac's and almost half the total harmonic distortion. I didn't return the 705 within the 30 days because by the time i got all the compents for my setup it was already 3 weeks after i bought the reciever, then when it didn't sound like i wanted i have kept trying to change the speakers. Maube i am crazy but when i hear the yamaha's or higher end recievers they seem to have a tighter cleaner sound.

I am worrid about the 805 over heating b/c i have to put the reciever in a closed space. My problem with changing the speakers is i have the rears built in. I started with boston acoustics and have already had them ripped out and replaced with the polk rc65i. I now have the csi 3 center and csi 4 for my l/c/r. I would get a nicer l/c/r but they wouldn't match up with my rears

Rear speaker levels will usually be set lower than the mains, simply because you're usually closer to them. However, -8 to -10 does seem extreme. In-wall speakers are tricky because you can get resonances from the wall that can throw off level readings (which is why some brands have built-in equalization to compensate for room boundary gain). Audyssey should be seeing those and equalizing them out, unless it's really extreme, in which case it may not be able to work around it and may be reducing the levels to compensate for the highest peak. Regardless, you should never expect in-walls to sound as good as standalone speakers without using in-wall enclosures and doing some very careful tweaking.

Since you mention Yamaha, it may be that you're used to a brighter sound. Onkyos are historically more neutral sounding, which is especially true once you get Audyssey involved since the Onkyo implementation does a slight roll off of the very high end to help reduce high frequency reflections due to your room's acoustics. Still, based on my experience with the Polk/705 combination, you should be getting a pretty good sound.

Personally, it did take a bit of adjustment to the 705's sound with my Polks. It didn't sound as "crisp" due to the high-end rolloff (even coming from the Onkyo 603 as I did), but the more I listened to music, the more detail I heard that was previously obscured. I listen to a lot of music with stringed instruments, and probably the most telling test was listening to Chris Thile of Nickel Creek playing the mandolin. At first, I thought it sounded a bit dull... then after turning off the lights and just listening for a while, I realized that I was hearing things in the recording like string noise from guitars that I never knew were there. Ultimately, I came to prefer it... but I can definitely relate to what you're saying.

I suggest getting an SPL meter and tweaking your levels. After running MultEQ XT, I ended up bumping my subwoofer level up 2dB and my rears up 1dB. I also suggest maybe turning off Audyssey under the EQ section and seeing what you think. Several people here have reported not liking the equalized settings, so that might be the case with you as well.

And as far as your front speakers matching the rears, don't get too hung up on that. It's more important to have matching mains and center than having a matched set all the way around, since the front soundstage is where most of the sound will come from.

Jeremy Anderson

10-10-07, 12:12 PM

I now have the csi 3 center and csi 4 for my l/c/r. I would get a nicer l/c/r but they wouldn't match up with my rears

Something just occurred to me: You mention that your main issue is with the center channel, and you're using the CSi3. What size room is this set up in?

I used to have the CSi30 center with my RTi28s as mains, and I noticed something similar to what you're describing. When I turned my system up to a pretty good level, dialogue seemed strained. I ended up stepping up to the CSi40, which solved my problem. Turned out I was just asking too much of the CSi30 in my room. You have to consider that like 60-70% of a movie's audio comes from the center speaker... which is why it is probably the most important speaker in your setup.

Just a thought - you might want to step up to the CSi5. It will still tonally match the RTi4s but will give you better performance. If your normal listening level is -15 from reference as you said, it may just be that you're expecting more out of your center than it can deliver in your room.

garypen

10-10-07, 12:21 PM

mosman - Something is wrong if you are getting distortion. (Although, I do believe -15 is turned up pretty high.) It could be a bad receiver. But, it is most likely due to improper gain structure, probably caused by Audessy's screwing of gain further down the line, causing you to overload it on the front-end.

Also, unless you are using some seriously under-gauge or damaged speaker, that won't be causing it. Do not waste money on fancy, high-priced speaker wire. It's snake oil, emperor's new clothes. Regular, inexpensive 12ga speaker wire is fine.

You may have a bad receiver. But, before returning it, or going through another set of speakers, try returning all of your receiver's settings to normal, zero, factory default.
(To reset the AV receiver/AV amplifier to its factory
defaults, turn it on and, while holding down the
[VCR/DVR] button, press the [STANDBY/ON] button.
“Clear” will appear on the display and the AV
receiver/AV amplifier will enter Standby mode.)

-Then, do not run Audessey. Set your speaker distances based on actual distance.
-Set the speaker cut-off and sub-woofer freqs based on actual speaker specs. (You may wanna just go with those default THX specs to start.) Right away, I will bet you will notice increased level, and less need to crank it up to -15. (BTW, you can change the volume display to read 0-100, instead of the pretentious "I'm such an audiophile" dB display. It is much more intuative.)
-Play a few of your favorite BD and SD discs, and see how they sound. You can manually adjust each channel's level for your personal taste. I would avoid lowering any individual channels. I would raise the ones that are too low. That way, you won't be pushing the receiver too hard with the master volume control. (The same is true with the individual inputs' "Intellivolume" settings. If you find some sources are louder than others, do not lower the louder ones, raise the lower ones, instead. Again, this will help you avoid pushing the master volume.)
-For the subwoofer, I would start with the subwoofer's own amp volume at 50%, and then adjust the receiver sub level. If you need to adjust the receiver more than 3db in either direction, I would then adjust the sub amp to a level that allows me to fine-adjust it with the receiver +/- 3dB.

Let us know if any of our advice helps.

ctchen1

10-10-07, 12:21 PM

Can someone tell me if 705 can support 7.1 in one room and 2 more stereo speakers at another room. If not, which receiver should I get to do this job.
Thanks in advance.

I posted this question last night and no answer yet. I would really appreciated if someone here can share their knowlege. Thanks.

garypen

10-10-07, 12:25 PM

If you use the 705 to power the speakers in Zone 2, then you will only have 5.1 in the main room. (It uses 2 of its amp channels to power the Zone 2 speakers.)

However, it can provide a preamp signal to a separate Zone 2 amp/receiver, and still retain 7.1 function in the main room.

Transcend

10-10-07, 12:25 PM

I posted this question last night and no answer yet. I would really appreciated if someone here can share their knowlege. Thanks.
I didn't respond myself because I don't know the answer to your second question. But as for your first question, I think the answer is no.

mrgribbles

10-10-07, 12:39 PM

I posted this question last night and no answer yet. I would really appreciated if someone here can share their knowlege. Thanks.

If you can separate amp them then the answer is yes. All you would need is a stereo amp and then use the pre-outs on the AVR. You can't use Zone 2 and 7.1 concurrently.

Transcend

10-10-07, 12:45 PM

Your receiver may share the same electrical circuit with other household items like fluorescent light, fan, fridge (connect to other outlet or turn off the light).
Check your subwoofer cable (a cheap subwoofer cable will be a problem). Reduce the gain on your subwoofer.
A ground loop is a possibility.
Do not bundle audio signal cable with power cable.
Go to Bestbuy or Circuit City and a buy a power conditioner.
Good luck

Thanks for your help; I've read similar advice on resolving speaker buzz, but because it varies with volume (to the point of non-existent) and isn't affected by shaking the speaker wire (as some reported), I was hoping it was normal.:o

1) I'm using an Acoustic Research subwoofer cable - seems to be good quality.

2) Since the hum is at the same level through all speakers, I'm didn't think reducing gain (base boost? or LFE?) on the subwoofer would help. :confused: But I'll try lowering both base boost directly on the subwoofer and LFE on the receiver settings and see if that helps.

3) All components are plugged into the same $125 Dynex surge protector with "Signal Scrubber — professional isolated EMI/RFI noise filter" (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6800786&productCategoryId=abcat0107048&type=product&tab=1&id=1091099665894#productdetail). I'll look into how a separate "power conditioner" can help.
EDIT: I think this is a power conditioner, isn't it? :confused:

4)I've gone to great lengths trying to keep all the power cords, A/V cables, and speaker wires separated. At one point, just behind the receiver, the speaker wires do touch the A/V cords, but short of bringing the speaker wires through the front of my cabinet, I don't think this can be helped.:(

All my speaker wire is 16 gauge (according to the wire chart, this is more than enough for my room), some by Acoustic Reasearch and some from Radio Shack. There is a very noticeable difference between these two types of wire, even though they are supposedly the same gauge (the Radio Shack wire is thin enough to feed through the KEF speaker stands, the AR wire is NOT); so I'm skeptical that "all speaker wire is created equal". But since the buzz/hum seems to be the same level for all speakers, I do not think the wire quality is an issue.

EDIT: My husband is watching TV right now and I noticed as I walked into the room that the inactive L/R surround speakers had NO hum whatsoever, even when placing my ear next to them. I cranked up the volume and only then could I hear it, barely (not through the active speakers -- only through the inactive ones). I keep hoping I'm just being too picky.